26th February - Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays....

Six weeks to go until marathon day, and sometimes it seems as if the training has taken over my life - which it has. This week has consisted of a 5.5 mile run on Tuesday, boot camp on Wednesday, 9 miles at marathon school last night and I have to do a 3 mile recovery run tonight.

I mean, how did I used to fill my days before? Watching telly...seeing friends...going for nice meals...pleasant walks?

A taste of the normal life is coming my way this weekend as I'm off on a hen do to Bath (is this like rehabilitating prisoners into society?). But what about my punishing weekend training schedule? I'm not doing it is what.

And I confess I tried to get out of doing any catch up training at all.

But Mick the marathon coach was having none of it. Apparently, it's far too close to the marathon to be missing my long run so Monday will see me pounding the streets for 2 hours and 45 minutes...on my own.

Yes, that is why I don't like Mondays.

21st February - The Runs...

I'm starting to get really nervous before these longer runs, so I was a little relieved when I woke up this morning and realised it had snowed quite heavily last night. The relief was shortlived, however, as the realisation hit me that there is no way I can miss out on the scheduled 15 mile run...marathon day is getting just too close. So, I met Lisa and Julie as arranged.

Here I am with my fellow troopers after the first three miles or so. See? We're all smiles..not the case about 8 miles in when I experienced my first ever runners' trots (is this too close to the cloth?!) - thank goodness for the Fox & Hounds at Bramhope...saved me a lot of embarassment!

Other than that I'm feeling okay, if a little tired. I'm pleased.

A total of 32 miles run this week...

18th February - The Going Gets Tough(er)

Training's been tough, tough, tough this week. Just back from our introduction to the short tempo run at marathon school. This was basically a 25 minute hard run (90% of maximum heart rate), sandwiched between a 15 min warm-up and 15 min cool-down. I think this would be tough in any circumstances but in the dark, at 0 degrees with snow blowing in our faces it was doubly hard. I've started to cough a lot when doing difficult runs - I wonder whether I'm shifting decades of pollution from my chest?!

Tuesday, I did about seven miles with the Virgin Active Runners - I went out with a faster group than I perhaps should have done and ended up playing catch-up down Kirkstall Road, into Leeds, up to Headingley and back to Kirkstall. A great workout but slightly embarrassing that I was so far at the back. Runs like this feel like a wake-up call to remind me that I've still got a long way to go!

It's difficult to get a balance though, while trying to avoid injury too. I seem to have developed what Mick at marathon school thinks is Piriformis Syndrome, so I need to make sure I'm stretching everyday. Maybe I need to look into sports massage too?

Recovery run tomorrow night, bootcamp on Saturday morning and then I'm aiming for a 15 mile run on Sunday with Julie & Lisa. What an achievement that will be...

14th February - Into the Groove

Liversedge Half Marathon is complete! One of the reviews I read described it as 'mainly through rural areas and testing in places' which was pretty accurate. Suddenly I am glad that I train in Eccleshill where there are hills aplenty, so I wasn't too fazed by the huge hills in this race.

I'm feeling really positive - I've upped my mileage (about 34 miles this week) and feel okay today. Also, the amount of support I have already received through sponsorship is amazing. I'm now 82% of the way to my target at £411.50, thanks to recent donations from Lucy, Helen, Grandma, Geraldine & David.

Bring on the coming week...

12th February - No 42956 Reporting For Duty...

It's here! My race number has come through...it's really happening...I've just got to sort out the medical certificate from my doctor and then that's it. Oh, and eight more weeks of training too!

The week's gone well so far. I spent Sunday recovering from the trauma of my Saturday training, then went to club on Monday for some hill sprints around Fitness First. Rested Tuesday, and then went to club on Wednesday and did a 6.5 mile run.

The word 'horrific' kept going through my mind at marathon school last night, however. We were introduced to the long tempo run, where you basically run hard for 70 minutes. It didn't sound so bad until I realised this length of time meant I would get as far as Calverley (from Morrisons on Gain Lane), and so have to run up Woodhall Road while maintaining a good speed. We're doing short tempos next week which sounds much more up my street.

Another weekend of hard training stretches before me. Three mile recovery run tonight, bootcamp on Saturday morning and then the Liversedge Half Marathon on Sunday, which I'm told is really hilly. It should amount to about 34 miles this week. I get the feeling I'm going to start next week very tired...

I heard this quoted recently and I'm trying to keep it in mind...

"The pain will go away but the finish lasts forever"

6th February - A Glutton for Punishment

Well, this marathon training is clearly turning me funny in the head resulting in the madness that was my training today. It went something like this:

1. Go out on Friday night and consume some large glasses of wine
2. Get up early on Saturday morning for crazy boot camp in Roundhay Park. Spend an hour swinging kettlebells and doing strange things with power bags
3. Try to tie in my long run with boot camp, wave goodbye to James speeding off in the nice, warm car and run home from Roundhay.

Cut to scene as I am heaving my aching limbs down the Leeds ring road, which I can only liken to running on the motorway. I'm not going to relive the nightmare that was this 10.5 mile run, suffice to say I will not be doing it again!

And this was going to be my sensible week...

3rd February - Best Laid Plans...

Hooray! I've finally stuck to the marathon training plan by reducing my nights of running and I'm now feeling loads better.

In fact, I'm a little ball of energy...

Had a great time at boot camp on Saturday morning. Ran 10.5 miles with Jo from running club on Sunday and managed to come in spot on my scheduled 1 hour 45 minute of easy running. I was back home for 11am, feeling positively virtuous with the day stretching ahead of me.

I'm not sure an enormous lunch at the Toby Carvery is included in the marathon training plan though...surely it's all about fuelling?

Nervously, trialled the Virgin Active Runners last night and was pleased to see so many familiar faces there. I thoroughly enjoyed the session which included a warm-up mile long jog along Kirkstall Road, and then interval running...er in the car park of Iceland. We did seven sets of two minute sprints with a two minute rest in between each one.

I know this type of training got me really fit for my first half marathon, so fingers crossed this will do the same. At one point, I did wonder what the heck my life has come to when I spend an hour on a Tuesday night, in the dark, running round lamposts in a supermarket car park.

I guess stranger things have happened...