27th March - False Alarm

I'm currently lying low with my fingers and toes crossed, as I woke up in the early hours of Saturday morning with excruciating pain in my right foot and found I was totally unable to put any weight on it.

Panic set in. For the first time, I had to cancel my scheduled run with Jo which was supposed to be a steady 13 miles - the first of my taper. As I hopped around the house, the catastrophising started. What if it didn't get better and I had to withdraw from the marathon - weeks and weeks of training would be wasted? What would I do with my sponsorship money? Would people think I'd just bottled it at the final hour?

Convinced I'd been sleepwalking and somehow fractured it in my sleep I headed off to minor injuries at Wharfedale Hospital. An x-ray confirmed there was nothing serious wrong with my foot - perhaps I'd just strained it? It seems fine now but I am nervous to run on it just in case.

At last Thursday's marathon school training session, Mick reminded us all that getting to the starting line healthy should be the main goal. I think I might have taken the taper a little far, however, given that I haven't run at all since last Thursday! The plan is to go out with Eccleshill tomorrow night (Julie, I hereby commit to being there), then marathon school Thursday night.

I'm not sure it's hit me yet that there's just over a week to go until we're off to Paris!

21st March - The Home Straight

The final long, long run is complete! Let the taper begin...though contrary to my initial idea of putting my feet up for two weeks, apparently I've still got to do quite a bit of running but no more of those epic three hour plus treks.

Well, not until the marathon itself.

It keeps occurring to me, how am I going to run so far? What if I can't do it and have to drop out? The shame.

A friend commented the other day that I must be really fit by now with all the training but the funny thing is I genuinely don't feel that I am. In fact, I sometimes feel my fitness levels are getting worse when I'm dragging myself round the streets of West Yorkshire. Perhaps my fitness will undergo a miraculous improvement during the taper?!

Training's gone well this week. Did boot camp on Wednesday, then marathon school on Thursday, which I loved - sprinting round a football pitch in the dark at Apperley Bridge (well, it's a marked improvement on running in the freezing cold with snow blowing in my face), something to do with VO2 training...Friday found me doing some heavy duty shopping after work (recovery shop?), then Sunday did the Otley run(though without the booze) nearly 16 miles with Julie and Lisa.

I'm still struggling with painful feet. I thought I was doing okay until about mile nine on Sunday and the now familiar nerve twitch returned. I'm resolved to get some new trainers but I'm not sure whether I've left it too late...I've got to do something though or I will be withdrawing from the race. Just kidding...

18th March - Big Hearts

I've now reached my fundraising target of £500 for the British Heart Foundation, so any extras will be a fantastic bonus. Thanks for the recent generous donations from: Sue B, Colin & Sue, Alex, Mick & Dawn, Alan, Nick and Claire H, which have taken me to today's total of £513.50!!! I'm so pleased, as are the BHF who have promised to send me a vest to wear in the marathon and lots of support along the route.

I managed to get back on my feet after Sunday, with a five mile run with VARR on Tuesday and boot camp last night. Marathon school tonight and we're apparently doing 300m repetitions, with emphasis on leg speed and form. I'll just have a little lie down first I think...

14th March - Time Wounds all Heels

A relatively early start to head off for sunny Morecambe (or Lancaster as it turned out to be) for the Trimpell 20 mile race prevented me from having time to feel nervous. I'd spent the day before preparing: stuffed my face with carbs all day (do rocky roads count?) and bought a bum bag for my gels, new thick socks and pads for my trainers in the hope that the recent pain I'm experiencing in my feet when running will go away.

It didn't.

I have never experienced such a painful run. From about eight miles on, every step felt like the nerves in my feet were being twisted.

Now I know why it's called endurance running.

We started off with a lap of a track from Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, and then headed off onto some cycle tracks. I stuck with Julie for the first 3-4 miles, which kept me at a great pace though I had to admit defeat eventually as I just couldn't keep up. I ran the rest of the race on my own counting down every single mile and desperately trying to keep within 10 minute miles. It was a good job I did those speedy first few miles because I was losing the will to live by about 13 miles, and the miles went down slower and slower. The negative talk set in and, at times, I very nearly walked and even considered dropping out all together.

But I didn't.

And thanks are due to some lifesavers, including Liz Jones who popped up sporadically to take photos and made me smile, the lady whose name I never caught but was training for London who ran with me from mile 16-18 and announced if I stopped or walked she was going to drag me round the final few miles, Nick the marine who ran with me for the last two miles and of course, Julie, Lisa and Jo my greatest supporters and inspiration who all ran the race in some amazing times.

When the pain was over, after the final gruelling two laps of the track (how cruel) we finished off with a lovely swim at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre.

I managed a time of 3 hours 27, which I'm hoping will mean I can complete Paris in a credible time. How I'm ever going to run six miles more than I did today, I just don't know. But I know I will.

7th March - With a Little Help From My Friends

Five weeks to go until marathon day, and the first of my three really tough weeks, until the taper, is complete.

And I pleased to report it really hasn't been too bad.

That said, I'm currently moving about as if I could do with a zimmer frame. But I have just run 16 miles (count 'em!).

After marshaling the final Peco X Country Race today, Julie and I headed out on the run she had planned (thank you, Julie) from Esholt to Guiseley, then onto Otley where we turned round by the river and ran back with a final three miles on the canal back to Apperley Bridge. It was a really lovely scenic run and the sun was shining which always makes a huge difference.

The next long run is the Trimpell 20 in Morecambe next Sunday, and it definitely doesn't feel too unachievable now.

Thank you my ERR friends for keeping me going...

3rd March - Egg Runner...

Running in the spring afternoon sunshine, how lovely. What a fabulous change from running in the dark in the wet and cold. Apparently, not the case in Bradford...we got egged by a some lads in a passing van.

Unbelievable!

Up until then, Lisa and I had been having a great run from her house in Pudsey, up to Tong Village, then along Tong Street and down Dick Lane, where it happened. Outraged, but undeterred we carried on back down to Lisa's. By the end of the run, we'd clocked 9.5 miles. However, when we'd done this run before it was 10.5 miles (and it certainly felt like it), so we decided Lisa's Garmin hadn't picked up the satellites for the first mile.

Marathon school tomorrow and I think we're off to a track on the other side of Bradford to do some speed work. Here's hoping there won't be any flying eggs...

1st March - The Lone Ranger...

First day of my week off and spurred on by word that Julie, Lisa and Jo had run 17.5 miles in my absence yesterday, I knew I had to fit in my long(ish) run today.

Even if it was on my own.

It took me a whole morning of procrastination to force myself out of the front door, but I did it. Left the car at Apperley Bridge and ran along the canal in glorious sunshine feeling quite invigorated. Then through Esholt (where it threatened to rain), up to Guiseley, along to Rawdon and it was here the endorphins kicked in and I decided to extend the run over the originally planned 10.5 miles. So, I carried on running down to the ring road, down Calverley Lane and then back to Apperley Bridge along the canal from Rodley.

It was lovely to be finally running in the light.

I'd been gone 2 hr 20 minutes by the time I got back to the car, which was less than the 2 hr 45 I should have done but I was happy with it nevertheless. I've just mapped it, and reckon it was about 13 miles.

The plan for the week is to run with Lisa on Wednesday afternoon, then running school on Thursday, recovery run Friday, boot camp Saturday morning and long run Saturday afternoon.

No rest for the wicked.