Well I did it! It wasn't easy but then neither was it particularily hard - its just a case of plodding on actually trying not to go too fast. The biggest problem that I have is that I haven't run these kind of distances before and so I have no idea how my body is going to react - you read so much about runners crashing and burning in the last few miles of a mara that it scares the willies out of you - if nothing else just think how embarassing it would be to be staggering around the streets of London at 24 miles.
I am still convinced that much of it is just mind over matter - I know I can run the distance now and even though it is going to hurt I just need to keep plodding along and see what the day brings. I have a secret hope of getting in under 4 hours (not so secret now although I think only my mum reads this - hello mum!) but am torn between going for that and taking the chance of hitting the wall or just enjoying my first mara and going more slowly. I expect that the competative instinct will step in and make that decision for me on the day.
So a windy and cold run - I found it easier in that I have run 20 miles before so pretty confident on the mileage but the conditions were much much harder - changed me route halfway through as the wind was so strong and cold by Virginia Water lake that I couldn't face running round it twice.
Taper starts now and I am looking forward to shorter runs (although when exactly 12 miles became a short run in my twisted little mind I am not sure) and relaxing!
I have carb loaded, drunk lots of water, bought the gels, the vaseline, the bodyglide, the detrose sweeties and planned my route on Google Earth - 22 miles tomorrow! Pretty nervous but its just a case of plodding on through it and after 3 and a half hours I will be home again with 2200 cals to eat.
Am now fully recovered from the 80's night - I was totally wired for about 12 hours afterwards and then went slowly downhill before falling asleep during Lewis on Sunday night. It was such a success and I am so happy that it went well and made so much money! I feel slightly lost now the pressure is off - not that I want it back but it filled my life for the last few weeks.
Tomorrow is my last LONG run - its "only" 12 miles next week and then steadily downwards from then on. I am so close now and the fundraising is done bar the shouting - I hopefully will top £3,000 which is more than I initially thought possible. Its probably a good job that I am starting work soon otherwise I would be bored to tears.
A dull 16 miler this morning - same lovely route as last week - Windsor Great Park, Smiths Lawn, Valley Gardens, Virginia Water Lake, Obelisk Pond, Rhoddedrun Ride and back down the Long Walk - I am so luck that I live here and can do runs like this. It turns out my run was a decent pace but it felt like I was plodding - maybe its just where my head is at the moment!
One more long run before the taper!
The cake sale went brilliantly yesterda with lots of people bringing cakes to donate and we made £85.50 plus another donation of £10. Added that to my total and it brings me to 94% of my target.
Hopefully after the 80's night tomorrow I will be there. Going to spend this afternoon sorting out the pizza dough recipe but boy I am tired this week - at the moment I am physically tired from the run too so a sniff of red wine tonight should see me tucked up in bed by 8pm.
Well the 80's night has really taken off and I seem to have around 80 people coming now - wonderful fundraising news but now I am panicking about food and booze etc! Seems I will always find something to worry about.
Cake sale today - this week I have done nothing but sort out stuff for fundraising - I am mentally tired - I think my brain is full! I am so looking forward to Sunday when the fundraisers are over and I can just concentrate on the running.
The weather forecast has perked up and tomorrows 16 miler will take place in drizzle but only 3 mph winds - after the gales of this week that is a huge relief. Just been to buy my gels to keep me going and I have a milkshake for afters - its no wonder I used to be a fat lass is it?
Very tired this week - did a slow race with two newbie runners on Sunday which was fine but woke up yesterday with back ache and feeling very out of it. This afternoon I did a 7 mile run on the treddie but it was hard work - that might have been because it was on the treddie but I had roving pains - firstly my ankle, then my knee then my hamstring and finally a sharper pain in my back - I stopped at that point and feel fine now, just tired. Got a 16 miler this week too but trying to work out when the weather is going to be least bad!
Fundraising is going very well and just broken £2,200! This week I have the cake sale which should be around £100 plus the chance to get more people from school to sponsor me. Then it is just the 80's night on Saturday - currently have sold around 65 tickets and interest has perked up this week - hopefully with the bar and raffle I will be able to make around £300 so am very hopeful that by Sunday I will be at my new target and then some!
So getting there - my new job still hasn't started which is probably for the best as not sure how I would fit anything else into my life - this seems to be all I think about!
Oh and booked my sports massages up to the date and after the marathon now, got my registration pack from FLM and and pleased with my number 49708!
I did my first ever 20 mile run yesterday and lived to tell the tale. It wasn't actually that bad, definately better than the 18 miler but mainly a fight won in my head I think.
Once I accepted that after 15 miles my muscles would be tired and that although they hurt they do still work - the whole thing became much easier.
The food and drink was just about right yesterday - finally found a gel that I can eat without heaving, and I think basically I just took too much with me - pockets stuffed full of jelly snakes and sports beans, an odd concoction called sports food which was like a lumpy wallpaper paste but oddly quite tasty. You start to worry about yourself as a person when the idea of eating lumpy wallpaper paste becomes attractive! Also a Lucozade Sports drink in each hand - the calories I consumed probably matched those expended by the end.
But the runners high was huge - even someone else saying they couldn't come to the fundraiser didn't dim it. I love running but sometimes the real pleasure comes from the afterglow. Still grinning today - my run time calculator gives me a mara time of 4.11 based on yesterdays run - I would love that but not getting my hopes up, I will see what the day brings.
RSS Feed