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19/11/09 Only a matter of days until we leave for Florence. My head is telling me that it's going to all be ok, but there are butterflies in my stomach from the nerves! As my muscles are expanding... I feel like "The Hulk" but maybe that's a good thought to take to the start line.
I'm hoping all my training will finally pay off. It's been challenging to eat the right food and avoid drinking on nights out but now I feel great, toned and ready to go...she says!
Just a few more days and I will be in the crowds, running the same roads as the 7,000 other crazy marathoners. We have raised lots of money but still need your help, so please dig very deep and help us reach our target.
Ok, wish me luck that I make it over the finish line without breaking a leg and lets hope that the weather stays good, otherwise I will be running round Florence wearing a raincoat made from a bin liner... |
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10/11/09 One of the great pleasures off long training runs is the exploration of London at ground level away from road. I started running in local Figges Marsh which has a perimeter of almost exactly one mile; useful for gauging those early short distances. A summer watching the locals playing cricket as I circled them was a joy but soon the distance became too short and repetitive and I moved on to Tooting Common and explored its pathways and woods. When the common couldn’t contain my hungry strides I moved on to Richmond Park. Finally this week even three circuits of that great space felt like too much and I struck off for the river which I followed to London Bridge before turning back towards home and the end of the longest run I will do before the marathon. |
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1/11/09 Dealing with failure is much harder than running a marathon. It is now certain that I won't acheive my stated aim of running the Florence Marathon in 4 hours 50 minutes. In fact is is doubtful whether I will be able to even get to the end. My hamstring injury went from bad to worse until I coudn't run at all. An MRI scan and some painful treatment that involved taking blood from my arm and injecting it into the area where the hamstring joins the hip bone meant that I wasn't really able to run at all for the whole of October. I am now allowed to do a little running and I managed 5 miles this morning. The injury isn't really better. Only 4 weeks to Florence,
Running a marathon is not easy - but to be honest I am finding the prospect of not running a marathon and failing to meet my goal much harder to deal with! |
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18/10/09 As I missed Bristol I made a last minute decision to run the Maidstone half today.
I felt like a gazelle at the start line, a gazelle that had got up far too early and whose breakfast of a double espresso and a banana had coursed its way through him like a road even before the train doors had shut at Victoria. A gazelle whose heart sank as he heard the pre race chat that the route was renownedly undulating!
Anyway, you will not be surprised that the gazelle looked like he'd been jumped by a couple of lions on heat as he crossed the finish line.
Happy running team Florence. |
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14/10/09 Well not a good few weeks. After not running in Portugal I went for my MRI scan and found I had a couple of slipped discs which are causing the hamstring pain. Anyway the doctors thought taking some blood out of my arm and injecting it into the top of my hamstrings might help. That was last Wednesday. I haven't been able to sit down comfortably since! Haven't run now for 3 weeks and another week before I can try - but I am allowed back on the cross trainer tomorrow. Oh well no one said it was easy.
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14/10/09 Did my first “half marathon plus” run at the weekend and covered almost 16 miles on two laps of beautiful Richmond Park. It is rutting season for the deer which was nice so everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, including me on the first lap at least. I felt terribly pleased with myself until I thought about running another 10 miles as my whole body went into spasm on the drive home. |
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23/9/09 Greetings all from the Full Potential Running Camp in the Algarve.
Was having a great time. Training went well on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. My highlight was on Sunday when I ran 11 miles 20 minutes quicker than I did the same run in March - oh what a good day!
Monday morning woke up feeling fine - but a recovery run became impossible after 5 mins - the old recurring hamstring problem again. Took the day off and thought maybe a rest would do the trick.
Tuesday a 5k handicap race on the track was aborted by me after lap 4 - hamstring pain just too much.
Oh well - this running business is all about ups and downs! A glass of Mateus Rose (yes I couldn't believe I was drinking it either!) and a nice dinner with running friends helped.
No better today so fear it is the MRI scanner for me next week. Meanwhile a nice holiday in the sunshine isn't all bad! |
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12/9/09 Wow. I can't believe I made it over the finish line. That was 13.1 miles completed in 2 hours and 50 minutes... it was a scary feeling to know that I was going to run that distance. I knew how long it would take in a car but by foot would be a very very long way.
When I made the finish line it was the best feeling ever. It beat all the long runs that I completed and it was because of the atmosphere, the Paparazzi and the 20 odd thousand people running around me.
Training is going well so far, my trainers are not so sparkling anymore but now I feel like a runner... |
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12/9/09 Oh dear it is nearly Sunday again! After the half marathon last weekend it has been an easier week this week - just a couple of short (4 or 5 mile) recovery runs. But tomorrow is Sunday - that is the day of the weekly 'Long Run'. Tomorrow I think it will be the turn of Regent's Park. I have a nice little circuit of about 2.6 miles that then takes me past the car where I can get a drink. It will have to be at least 4 laps tomorrow - and I think really 5 will be necessary - that is half marathon distance! Anyway on Thursday I am off to Portugal for a 10 day running camp! Is this a holiday? I am not sure. |
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10/9/09 I am continuing to lose weight and am very proud of myself for having completed the Bristol half marathon on Sunday. I surprised myself because I enjoyed every minute even when the pain kicked in at mile 9. The team support certainly inspired me to keep going.
I'm very proud of the others too.
Now 12 weeks until Florence. Hopefully I will be able to feel my legs so I can start running again soon! |