Leaving Glasto behind

Glastonbury is not the ideal training ground for a marathon but you've got to have a life. Question is, how do you make up the lack in running and the excess of pear cider? Well, I'm not going to think about it too hard, I'll just start a proper the next week. I figure that so long as that doesn't become my motto, I'll be ok, I've still got just over 18 weeks left to train.

Back to the training...

Despite coming off the back of a Glastonbury weekend, I have managed to get in 3 runs in the last week, totalling 17k, not ideal, but better than nought.

The general plan for the next few weeks is to chug round my 5k circuit on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and to go for a longer river run at lunchtime on a Wednesday (see left) and an even longer one on Sunday. Sundays are the focus of the training schedule, the time to really start clocking up the miles.

Steadily increasing the distance

Went for my longest run in my fledgling training program last night. A mere 7.2k but I felt it alright after the usual work cycle.

Wednesday 21st June - 7.2k run - 21 mile cycle

I also realised my iPod was giving me a false reading as to how far and fast I was running. It had me as running 8.6k last night, so it's about 15% out. Time to recalibrate before I start claiming I'm breaking world records!

Training Begins

Training for a marathon run in November, over one in April, has its benefits. For the majority of the time, you'll be running in daylight and training in milder conditions than you'll run in on the day, which seems to be the preferred way round. And, of course, you're justified in rewarding yourself all through the silly season off the back of your achievement.

Taking those positives on board, I'll have another look at the various marathon training schedules available and tell myself how lucky I am!

So how's it all going?

w/c 11th June
Thursday - Confirm entry into NYC marathon
Friday - 5k run - First training run!
Saturday & Sunday - Rest / Days of eating and drinking at a wedding in Italy...

w/c 18th June
Monday - 5.5k run - 21 mile cycle
Tuesday - 21 mile cycle

It's safe to say, that two runs in, I'm not totally pain free. The pain's partially the standard muscular ache you get when you've not run in a while and go out for that first jog, or DOMS as it is known. Other than that, I'm just generally fatigued, probably as I'm still cycling 20 miles a day and adding my running on top.

Thoughts at the moment are that if I want to increase my running I might have to cut down on cycling to work everyday. It could be time to dig out the scooter. Ciao!