First long run complete

Yesterday I did my first real long run. The training program said I should run 14km and that it should take in between 1h 24min and 1h 38min. Karin supported me and stood on the treadmill next to me for an hour, which was really nice. The whole thing felt so daunting at first and I was starting to realise how much it is going to take of me to go through with this. Not the least time wise.
Once I got started though it wasn't that bad and the kilometers added up rather quickly. Passing the 1h mark changed something in my mind - the count down started and the less than 4 km remaining felt like a peace of cake. Completed 14.5km in 1h 25 min and the only place I could really feel it was in my knees. I wasn't particularly tired. Feels good that I'm able to keep up with the 'under 4h training program'. If it's going to be done, it should be done properly.

Fooling myself

Yesterday was the first time that I really struggled. According to my training program I had just under an hours training to do, of which 28 min was fartlek.

The alarm went off at 6.20 and it was just one of those ‘I can’t believe I have to get up now’ mornings. Crawled back to bed and curled up to Dion who was sound asleep. It was so tempting to stay and no doubt, had I not had the marathon I’d have stayed in bed for another hour, at least. But I convinced myself and got up. Don’t really fancy breaking the training program after only a week.

On my way to the gym the little excuses started coming into my head suggesting that perhaps I could settle with doing just the fartleks bit today and take the rest tomorrow. Proud to say though that I did all of it, 58 minutes and 10.7km. Good thing that I didn’t realise until halfway through the workout that the different bits of the training would add up to over 10km. Would have struggled even more to get up had I known that.

Oh… Paula Radcliff congratulated me this morning on my fastest mile so far. Speaking of Nike+ the little bugger was off again suggesting that I’d run 12.25km rather than 10.7. If only that was true.

Congratulated by Lance Armstrong

Today is resting day. Did my 10km run yesterday and it was actually really good. Keeping within the 60min time frame turned out to give a rather pleasant and ‘easy tempo’ run so I feel pretty optimistic for the upcoming 14km run this weekend. Only concern is that my knees started hurting around 35min and then again around 50 min. A bit concerned about how they are going to handle even longer runs and running on asphalt, which I’m not going to be able to avoid as I need to start running outside very soon. Putting it off for the moment as the weather is absolutely horrid but guess that wearing the right clothing will help a bit and I’m hoping that as with everything else you get used to it.

Nike+ was once again off btw, adding a mere 1.5 km or so to the total distance. Not very impressed. Going to do some research tonight to find out if at all it’s possible to get a somewhat accurate result on the treadmill. On the positive side once I’d completed my workout and selected ‘end workout’ on my iPod, Lance Armstrong (or rather the voice of) congratulated me on my longest run so far! Nice little surprise to get an encouraging word after a completed workout. Guess I’ll be hearing his voice once every week for the next four and a bit months. Wonder if I’m going to get tired of it and if so if there is a setting that allows me to choose which celebrity that will congratulate me. Hmmm…

First weeks training nearly complete...

Today it’s time for my first 2 digits run since the half mara I did in 2004, 10km. Feels quite short and rather insignificant compared to the 42km I shall be doing in a few months, but still, it is 10km after all.

It’s grey and gloomy outside and no, I’m too keen on putting on cold clothes in our cold flat and fight my way through the 10km against the wind which undoubtedly will do its best to stop me from moving forward. So, I’m heading for the gym and the treadmill instead, my newly bought gadget Nike+ as my constant companion and motivator. Though, the calibration of this little thingy has yet to work properly (apparently calibrating it on the treadmill is not really ideal) so I’m not relying on it for distance, only time, like I have since I bought it. It’s like it has its own little mind, some days being happy and thinking I deserve a boost, adding 1.5km to the actual number, sometimes, subtracting the same, telling me I need to work harder. Today I’m going after the treadmill who seems to be rather indifferent. 10km in 60 min, easy tempo according to my training program. I’m actually looking forward to it. After this I will have completed my first week of official marathon training.

Perhaps I am...

I’ve done half of it once. My reaction then was ’There is no way, EVER, that I’m doing the double of this. Never!!!’. That was 3 ½ years ago and what I’m talking about is a half marathon and a marathon. Somehow I’ve ended up officially registered, today, in the 2008 Flora London Marathon, running for H·E·A·R·T UK and Teamredlaces. I’ve got 4 months, 28 days, 11 hours and 50 min until I’m standing there, about to cross the start line. How do I feel? Today I’m absolutely thrilled.

I’ve always wanted to complete one but the half marathon in 2004, which to be honest, I didn’t train nearly enough for (longest run before that – 10km) put me off it a bit. I could hardly walk and had to take the elevator up and down when getting around Copenhagen Business School where I studied. Stairs were simply out of the question. The half marathon itself, amazing but bloody hard. In all honesty I’ve been a bit scared by the thought of actually signing up for one. Not to speak about all training devotion it requires. But then, 2 weeks ago, I had one of those moments that I get sometime. Some people call them impulses. For me they are more of a 'all-of-a-suddens-I'm-going-to-do-this-and-nothing-you-can-say-or-do-will-stop-me' (other people call that stubbornness). So in that moment I decided to run the London marathon. Being me I straightaway looked into it only to find out that it was no longer possible to register for your own place in the marathon. The only thing available was signing up through a charity and hope that they would 'give' you one of their places.

Like a little child who’s gotten something into his/her little head and then finds out that they can’t get it, right here, right now, I wanted it even more. My mind was set on that I was going to run the 2008 marathon, in London, nowhere else, and it was going to be amazing! All thoughts of doubt were pushed out of my head and left was stubborn little me, determined to find a way.
As soon as I got home I did some research on the charities and H·E·A·R·T UK was the obvious choice for me (Why? I’ll cover that very soon). I emailed them and got an answer the next day saying that Teamredlaces was nearly full but that I should register on their site. I registered, thinking in the back of my head that perhaps it’s all for the best if I don’t get offered one. After all it was only 5 months and 7 days left and sure, I run a few times a week and have been doing so for the last few years, but I haven’t run longer than 9km since the half mara.

The day after, I got an email saying that I’d been offered a place! I was absolutely thrilled and terrified at the same time. Would I really be able to do it? Would my knees be able to handle all the training? Well, who knows. It doesn’t really matter. I’ve set my mind to it, I’ve got a place, and I’m going to do it. And today I’ve got the payment receipt of the entry fee in my inbox.