Loving it!

Not enough hours to train but enjoying every session all the more for it!

Well, more than two weeks since my last update and I'm going to keep this one brief.  If it weren't for the fact that I'm in the throws of work which seems to be sapping every spare second of my time, I would have blogged before now or would be making the most of this update... alas.

Anyway, this is the first blog in quite some time where I'm not only an eager beaver in terms of wanting to train, I'm actually loving it - all over again!  After my lull over the summer where every step felt like a slog (worse than that, it actually hurt) to the point where I wasn't enjoying running and had to talk myself into training each day, I've now moved on.  Although my training opportunities are severely limited due to the commencement of a new term and having the girls at home with me - not to mention a new job (hours are even more demanding), I'm actually looking forward to my training sessions and enjoying them.  My legs are feeling good and my times are improving again.  In fact, I'm back to that stage that I know so many runners will identify with, whereby I'm actually getting itchy feet that are desperate to get out and run each day.  (Oh, how I've missed this feeling!)

I'm now more than 39 weeks into my 48 week plan (I know - where did these last few weeks suddenly disappear to?) and I'm enjoying the challenge in the same way that I did during those early weeks of enthusiastic running.  I still cannot quite get my head around the fact that in just a few weeks time, I'm going to be starting (and hopefully finishing) the Hereward Ultra race.  In fact, having just looked at the history of the finishing times, I get so nervous as I know I really cannot compete with the competitors finishing times to date... my coping mechanism, therefore, is to not think about it and to simply concentrate on each of my individual training runs and the next couple of weeks ahead. 

I've moved on from the early stages of training in that I can now look forward to the next marathon rather than the next training run and am actually looking forward to my next challenge.

Training since Wolverhampton has been varied and generally fairly pleasing. 
The week directly after was a slow, recovery week with a couple of 5km jogs but nothing more.  The following week saw me start to build up again, culminating with a 17 mile (very slow) run starting at Walsham and through the surrounding villages (was meant to be 16 miles but it would appear that both my friend Emma (bike support) and I have a dreadful sense of direction.  I really enjoyed this (despite the warm weather) and actually felt as if I could take on the world again. 
Last week saw me having the girls virtually every night so it was a case of stealing 30-45 minutes after work where possible.  On the plus side, the lack of long runs meant that I could focus on my speed work and even knocked out a 4 miler in 29.40 (slow for some but it's the fastest I've ran since May). 

My plans for the next week or so in terms of running:
Today - rest day (not by choice - work and family dictate this)
Tuesday - 10km (hard)
Weds - 5-6 miles (easy)
Thurs - rest day
Friday - 5km jog
Saturday - 20 mile slow training run.
Sunday - rest day.
The week thereafter will include a couple of 8 milers (I hope) but generally slowing down a little bit in preparation for Leicester on the 14th October.

I'm really hoping that I can work well over the next week/two weeks and benefit from some decent training.  First and foremost, I want to complete the Leicester marathon but more than that, whilst I may not be at the standard I was in April/May, I'd quite like to achieve something to be reasonably proud of. 

To finish - all is good in my running world today.  What a difference it makes to my life... the same works in return!  :o)

I am the Wolverhampton Wanderer! :)

Marathon 4 of the year - check!

To start...  I have recently read a couple of articles on the causes and symptoms of over-training which transpired to be a bit of an eye-opener for me...

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/overtraining/#axzz257uDWzZQ

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/overtraining/a/aa062499a.htm

Thankfully, without even reading the articles, I knew that I had been struggling with the running and had taken steps to cross-train when the running was proving difficult.  As per my last update, I genuinely felt that I had recovered from the over-training but was grappling with the simple fact that a marathon was fast descending upon me and the preparation was more a case of 'under-prepared'.  Having just read through my last post, it's clear that writing that particular update proved to be a real turning point for me.  After a definite period of over-training, I was on the verge of either reducing the event to a half-marathon or not competing at all.  Whilst actually writing the blog, my mindset changed.  What was very much a starting state of feeling defeatist, by the end of the post, I had regained some of my fight and optimism again.

I knew that I was not of the ability to complete the marathon with any amazing times or at a pace to be proud of but I also knew that my 2012 challenge was matter of completing the marathons.  By the time I'd finished my post, I was very much of the state of mind that I'd rather start and struggle with the marathon but complete it, however slowly, than to not even participate at all.  So complete it I did!

Last Saturday therefore saw me, my girls and my sister-in-law Tara head across to Wolverhampton.  A good feed up on the Saturday night, X-Factor in bed and chilling with my book was in order.  For the first time in years I wasn't at all nervous.  I think that the decision to take part and complete the event in the knowledge that I wasn't strong enough to achieve a time to be proud of, really took the pressure off me. 

So, I took it slowly!  What started off as a cloudy morning soon became a sunny and warm day but the early (9.15am) start time saw most of the race underway before the heat kicked in.  I ran the first 9.5 miles with a lovely man, Scott, who was struggling and eventually pulled out.  The pace was extremely slow and although it cost me more time, it also provided me with pleasant company and a gentle start to a long run.  Once Scott pulled out, I felt ready to up the pace and push myself a little more although I wasn't working at any kind of level that would have achieved a good time and I was genuinely OK with that.  My breathing was good, legs were feeling fine and I was enjoying myself.  The course was two laps that started from West Park in the centre of the city and worked its way further afield.  I had imagined that the second lap would feel rather deathly having to go through it all again but it was anything but.

During the 19th mile, my calf muscles ceased up so I had to power walk for a couple of minutes.  This became a bit of a pattern throughout the last 7 or so miles.  Walking for 1 minute, running for as many minutes as I could (sometimes 1, other times I completed almost a mile).  Strangely enough, when I was capable of running, my pace (9 minute miling) was the same as that during miles 10-18.  So even with walking, I was clocking sub 11 minute miles for the remainder of the event.  I somehow (not sure how) managed to hold and even improve my placing throughout these last miles.  I suspect that my incredibly slow start played a very large part in terms of the fellow competitors I was mixing with in the latter stages of the race.

I eventually finished in 4hr26 minutes.  I could perhaps have shaved 10 minutes off this if I hadn't ran with Scott BUT it still wouldn't have been a time to be proud of and it enabled me to enjoy the event that much more.

All in all despite the time which, although slow, was a time I had anticipated I completed it.  I even had surplus energy reserves, ending with a slight sprint finish and a smile upon my face.  My placing (not great, 150th finisher out of 260) was still amazingly showing me as the 16th female overall and the 4th finisher in my category.  My legs are recovering nicely since the weekend which is one of the few bonuses of having a 'lazy' marathon so I should be able to up the miles without too much stress. 

 

So, now here I am, more than 36 weeks into my training plan with fewer than 12 weeks to go until the ultra-race and I'm actually feeling positive.  I have 5 weeks and 3 days until the Leicester City Marathon and am looking forward to it.  Bring it on!