Marathon Training Update – the story so far.

(Written 3rd March 2017)

 Part 1

It started so well, the week after I wrote my last blog entry I was flying high, that weekend saw me NAIL an epic 10km – the Winter 10km run.  I wasn’t even feeling my best but Nike (which actually worked this time) recorded a 30 minute 5km and a 1.01 10km.  I was so excited I felt like I was naturally speeding up, and was feeling very excited about my upcoming half which I knew I would be able to smash a PB.  Wohooo.  Then later that week I had the lovely experience of  ‘I think I’ll just go a few more miles’. It was a pretty, snowy, full moon night, and my 6 turned into 8 just because I felt like it.  I was flying high.

Part 2

Then tragedy struck.  A few days later I set out to run my first 10  miles, and the little bit of pain I had been feeling in my leg stabbed at me hard, and my ten miler ended in less than a mile.  I had been feeling a bit pained the preceding week but it felt like I hadn’t stretched properly after a run, so I carried on running and focused on my stretching.  But that morning it was more of a stabbing pain.  I took too weeks off, waiting for it go away. L  watching my hard created Marathon training plan whittle away too.

After two weeks it was a little better, and I made it out for a run.  It’s a long story but basically the pain is epic first thing in the morning or if I’m resting my leg for two long.  When I realised running didn’t make it worse (the pain actually goes when I run) I decided to push through with the running.  Half marathon in 2.5 weeks and if I didn’t/don’t go that then I think I can kiss the marathon goodbye.  The doctor has prescribed some hard stretching before bed and when I get up and I’ve been focusing more on warm ups prior  to my run.  I’m a little disappointed as I can run (hoorah) but I’ve lost a few weeks training, and I’ve slowed down to compensate the discomfort when I start out running.

So my marathon training has therefore taken on a life of its own, my beautiful spreadsheet is out and ‘winging it’ is in, I have a vague plan in my head and  I’ll build up the milage week by week and play it by ear, which to be fair is pretty much how I’ve trained for other long runs (or rather runs that seemed long to me at the time, 10km, half).  Fingers crossed I’ll still manage a better half marathon time, but without a few longer distances behind me that will knock my confidence a bit.

What I really think of marathon training…

So this is it, it’s actually happening, I’m on week one of marathon training.  So how do I feel, well boringly, I feel absolutely fine, I’m not nervous or worried, and there is nothing in me (currently) that feels like I can’t do it.  The main reason being is that I’ve been here before with the half training, and I did it so I know I’m capable, therefore what I have I got to worry about.  OK so I’m worried about getting sick again, and I’m worried about injury from overdoing it, and I’m worried about spending 5 hours on my feet before I can’t seem to get any faster no matter how hard I try, but hey. 

One big new thing is that I joined a gym, I always promised myself that if I ever ran a marathon I would join a gym for the obligatory ‘crosstraining’ bit (although in fairness, I’m sure a weekly 20 mile hike would happily cover that category). I also promised myself when I was sick as well, I’m not sure the crazy January temps helped me stay well, and I knew if the weather continued I just couldn’t do the running outside, the gym was my fall back option, and I promised that next time my old local gym emailed me an offer I would join… and the next day PING in my inbox, doh!  But saying that I’ve enjoyed my gym sessions, it’s nice to give my legs a running break, and I have even signed up to a group weights session thing, I saw it happen last week and it looked interesting, so I’m going to give it ago (in the hope of toning up a bit too).

My gym thing is a bit of an experiment too, to see if it has any overall effect on my running compared to my HM training (when I didn’t bother with a gym). Let’s see, love a bit of experimentation.

My good running streak continues and that has given me a massive shot of confidence which is probably why I feel fine about everything, I might not be so confident in a few weeks’ time.

There has been a lot about this marathon that has fallen into place (like the gym offer). I’m a big believer in the universe pointing the way, and that’s how it seems to have been with this one in so many ways.  For example

·         I ran some of the Edinburgh route last year whilst on holiday there (without knowing it was a marathon route), and loved it and wanted to run further and further but couldn’t (physically) I’ll get my wish on 28^th May.

·         When  I got my ‘we’re sorry’ magazine from VMLM, it literally fell out the envelop face down with the EMF advert facing up towards me

·         I have somewhere to stay on the marathon route

·         My niece signed up to the half marathon (without knowing I was going to be there).

·         I keep meeting people that are running it too

·         My scheduled HM falls on the exactly the same day as the half marathon I had booked in March!!!

·         When I was buying a book about marathon running, I flicked through to a random page to read, and the first line was a story about someone called Celeste running her first marathon.

·         I could go on…

Is the universe pointing to Edinburgh?

Here’s another pointing (funny) story. When I put my 16 week plan together (before xmas) I was pretty intent and happy with it.  However by the start of this week I was wishing two things that I had given myself a spare week, room for error, sickness, laziness (but too late to think that week one).  And I really wished I could fit in an extra 20 miles.  The plan offers two, which is fine, but I’m a bit funny about long runs and like to get as close to the final distance as possible.  With the HM I did two 10s and a 12 and on the day was wishing I had done more.  I know the scientific reasoning why you should go up to 20 miles, and that it should be ok, but come-on guys 6 miles is a long way, especially when you’ve just ran 20, you’d have to really believe 6 miles is a breeze to cope with that.

Anyway last night I was obsessively studying my nicely typed up training plan, (and working out how to fit my  long runs around all the weekends away I’ve just booked opps) when I realised there was a week missing in April.  I’m such a ditz, but it means I have that extra week to play with… AND if I fit shorter runs on the weekends I’m away I can fit in an extra 20 miler on that missing week, so it all suddenly works perfectly. Nuts hey, just another example of its meant to be!!

So I guess if you really want to know how I feel about marathon training you need to go back to entry 2 of this blog and all the pondering over the Half marathon training (with a little less whingeing now though – hopefully).

All that said, I’ve changed a lot and grown a lot with my running since the HM (even if I’ve not grown in speed).  6 miles isn’t so bad, and I did a comfortable enjoyable 8 last week and was comparing it to my first 8 which I was so excited to achieve, now it’s just eight, and yeah I can add another two no probs (as long as it doesn’t rain, then it’ll be a grumpy 10 miles).  In this process I’ll be dong lots of reflecting on my HM training and how far I’ve come. Deep down I’m so proud of myself.

So although its only week one I’m optimistic and not scared.

Marathon Training Plan (spot the missing week!)

Where I’m at with my running.

After limping throughout the winter with a mixture of continual bad runs, and unending sickness.  The sickness took me out for about 2 weeks, and I was dreading getting back out there partly due to fear of having lost all fitness, and partly through fear of getting sick again (it’s still winter). At the same time I was very aware that marathon training was hiding just around the corner laughing at me…noooh.

But got out there I did and I seemed to have turned a corner.  I forced myself out there after the two weeks of sickness and ran some quality runs including my fastest 5 miles since HM training. I found I wasn’t having to run/walk as much, and since then it’s just got better and better. I’ve had some really good runs, and when I say good I mean fast (for me) but more importantly enjoyable runs.  I’m feel like running isn’t a continual running battle anymore, and I’m ready to push myself and go further.

I have this theory, that it was keeping up the consistency over the winter (I was running even though it was bad running) has built something inside of me, and as the weather conditions have turned back to almost normal my body is fit and ready to ‘go long’.  So yay for keeping on and getting out there.

Also I joined a gym (I’ve only gone once but hey).  I always promised myself I would if I ventured into marathon territory, I do believe it’s really important to do some other exercise other than just running in marathon prep, and it must be good cause I’m aching after my first session, let’s see if it has an effect on my overall running.

Onwards, and forwards, I say. 

My Christmas Run Streak

My Christmas Run streak - a slightly late post

50 km Christmas weekly total

So over the Christmas break I had a go at a (mini) run streak.

I have mixed opinions of runstreaks as I still feel like a relative newbie runner, and I think it’s a no go area for new runners because of the risk of injury.  However last year I read a great article in RW about someone that did one for a month, and the results were very positive.  Pre-Christmas, I was really struggling with running motivation and confidence (seems to be a recurring theme for me) so thought this might be a good experiment.  I decided that I would do a longer run (my normal run) one day followed by a short 3-5km the next day.  I also decided that if I experienced any aches or pains from overdoing it I would not continue the experiment. Below are my reasons for the attempt and my findings:

Consistency

In the RW interview she said it was really good for discipline, she got out there every day rain, snow or shine, and now she felt she had no excuse if the weather was a bit naff. I’m very good at giving in to the lure of a nice warm house (especially in winter).  Christmas week the weather was exceptionally lovely, albeit exceptionally cold but each day I got out there, I discovered (although I should already know this) it’s the putting the foot out the door that’s always the hardest, within 10 minutes I was no longer cold, everything was fine. In fact I actually really enjoyed having the excuse to run every day.  Normally I’m very strict with my only run every other day routine, that the days that I don’t run I sometimes really feel like running then feel deprived when I don’t.  In future if I feel like running I will.

Confidence

I really suffer with confidence in running, and get really nervous before a run, it’s so dumb.  Partly it’s because I run every other day, and my thinking is ‘what if today is a bad run day, then I’ll feel like crap, and have wasted a run day and have to wait another two days for another opportunity’  there was none of that with running everyday.  Everyday was an opportunity for a good run.  In fact I didn’t have one ‘bad run’  - except the day I got lost in the fog, and got really stressed and annoyed with myself for my complete loss of sense of direction.

It did build my confidence and I started to stress less pre-run.

Mind games

Linked with confidence, I decided to think positively on every single run in an attempt to battle the mental side of running, pre runs I psyched myself up with positive thoughts and intentions for the run.  And kept the positive thoughts and words  going though my mind during the run, it must have worked. I was fine and no bad runs!

Fitness

This is a massive one, because I had signed up to a new year 10km, and prior to Christmas, partying had over taken running, and I really wasn’t feeling ready for a 10km.  I do a lot of hiking, and I remember once I did a 3 day long hilly hike (I hate hills with a passion, running or walking), by day two the hills had started to get easier, and by day three were much easier, just in three days!  So I thought maybe just maybe I could improve my fitness in just one week. Turns out I did, running certainly got easier and easier and the only problem I had with my new year’s day 10k was the result of too much Prosecco the night before.

The other thing I noticed, was that I experienced less pain running every day. Normally my shins ache the first 20-30 mins of any run, however I didn’t experience any of that during my run streak, and (as I have experienced on odd occasions) when I run of consecutive days my runs the second day are actually much better!

Conclusions

I definitely enjoyed my mini runstreak, and would have no problem continuing if time permitted. Whilst I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone (risk of injury and all that) I guess we all know our own bodies and our own capacities.  And the experiment definitely increased my confidence and  motivation and put me back in the ‘Zone’ and giving me back a ‘Can do’ mind set.  Perfect timing as marathon training starts soon. 

January Update

Because of the practicalities of a busy life, I'm not afraid to run on consecutive days anymore (as a result of the above) and weirdly my running seems to be vastly improved from one day to the next if I run on consecutive days.  I've also loved going out when I feel like going out rather than thinking, I want to go run but I can't because I ran yesterday.

All in all, a successful experiment (but I still dont' recommend it :))