Feeling optimistic

Ran about 23km (14.3 miles) out in Skrylle in Sweden yesterday. Meant to run 18 miles but my knees and right leg weren’t too happy and considering my problems earlier on last week I didn’t want to push it. The pain was partly due to that I started out with the 10k route which turned out to be pretty hilly, which wasn’t at all to the liking of my knees. Not a good strategy either to start out that hard when you’ve got a wee bit longer to go so I’m definitely saving that one for last next time I’m home in Sweden. My leg muscles are actually soar today, something I haven’t experienced in months. Definitely the hills’ fault.

Very happy with my run though. Did the equivalent of half a marathon in less than two hours without feeling absolutely nackered afterwards so if only my knees and right leg can behave a bit better, I should be ok on the 13th April. Time went by so quickly yesterday that I was a bit unsure of if I’d actually had run the 23km and been out there for 2 hours, but looking at the watch and adding the routes up, plus checking my Nike+ assured me that I had. Amazing how a 2 hour run is starting to feel short.

Bruised...

Had to stop 20 min into my run this morning because my right leg was playing up. Really felt like I was getting a tear in my muscle so decided to see a physio asap. Went to the London Marathon website's injury clinic page where I found Physio Fit. Got an appointment with a therapist called Adrian Fletcher, really lovely and bubbly but boy was he hard in his sports massage. He kept on asking me questions whilst he was giving me the massage, but it hurt so bad that I could hardly talk.
Asking when I was planning on doing my next run (my answer was tomorrow) he kindly informed me that I'd probably be a bit too soar for that, plus that I should run in the pool until my leg gets better. Oh, and he also told me that I might actually be a bit bruised and yeppery bop, looking in the mirror when I got home there were some nice bruising on the back of my legs. But, my leg feel a bit better so fingers crossed that with the ordered stretching and lots of water (and running in the pool) I'll be as good as new soon. Really gutted that I can't go for a run tomorrow morning though...

Weee haa!!!

I had a fantastic run today! 2 1/2 hrs and close to 26.5km (16.5 miles)! That's the longest I've run, ever!!! Paula Radcliff's voice congratulated me again to my longest run so far (as she did last week). Nice!
Compared to last Sunday the run was so much better. I wasn't waiting for my Nike+ to count down the last 5 mins and my knees weren't dying for me to stop. Sure, they hurt but I ran most of it off-road and it really made a difference.

I'm so impressed that my legs kept pounding away non-stop for 2 1/2 hours today! I was saying to a friend yesterday that I've started looking at my legs more as... as a running partner when I run. I even started giving them little slaps of acknowledgment and encouragement, like you do to horses. Pretty strange...
Today I completely forgot about the little slaps. I'd loaded my iPod with lots of new music and after an hours run my endorphins were running high and I kept getting chills down my spine of pure happiness. I felt like jumping around and singing along out loud to the music, but a little too many people in the park plus I'd probably ended up injuring myself from the jumps. It was so great though. You can really tell that spring is around the corner. Ran in a singlet today, until it started raining a bit, and it wasn't cold at all. There were flower smells everywhere and all the daffodils were blooming. Lovely! More runs like the one today, please.

Hard run

Went for a 2hrs 15min run today through Hyde Park, Green park St James park, over westminister and all the way over to and around Battersea park and then up via Sloan square back into Hyde park and home. The run was a lot harder than the other weeks. Think I was wearing too many clothes and waited too long after breakfast so didn't feel that full of energy. Plus my knees were taking a toll as well. Was pretty painful towards the end and it got me really worried.
Starting to doubt that I'll be able to run it under 4 hours and I suppose is ok, I did after all miss a months training due to illness, but if me knees are hurting this much after about 23.5km, what are they going to feel like after 42km?!
Feeling a little bit down...and scared. Today's run wasn't fun after 1hrs 45min so I'm starting to get worried about how I'll feel during the actual run. I know there will be lots of supporters there, but still. Tiredness I can cope with but when I feel my body is giving in... that worries me.

Time to put ice on my knees and try to keep the pain away :(

Getting closer

The countdown on the Flora London Marathon site says 1 month 26 days left. Can’t believe it’s so close!!! I’m starting to feel really nervous, super excited, a little bit scared but also a bit sad. Sad that it’s all going to be over soon. Sure, I feel a bit tired and it’s not always fun to put on the running shoes, but I’m really enjoying it all.
Met up with HEART UK at the Holiday Inn – Blomsbury on Monday. Some of the girls that I met at the training seminar was there and no matter how nerdy it sounds it’s great to be with them, talk about how the training is going, share your concerns and not the least get really excited about the day. I’m really going to miss it all when it’s over. Thinking about joining a running club to keep up my motivation and have other people to share it with.

Other than loving being part of the big buzz my training is going really well too and I love it!!! Can definitely feel that my shape has improved immensely since I started my marathon training in November. This morning I cycled into work, did pretty hard interval training for 30 min plus ran another 30min and I didn’t even feel tired afterwards.
This Saturday I’m having my last drink until after the marathon and it’s time to really get-serious and be good to my poor body that puts up with all the hard work. I’m doing 5 days of training this week and are going to keep it up until tapering time a couple of weeks before the big day. That combined with cycling 40 min back and forth to work 4 days a week, should hopefully improve my stamina even more and get me well prepared on the big day.

Just ran half a marathon and got my first blister

Today I went out for my second long run since after I've been ill. The weather wasn't as nice as last Sunday and a lot windier too but too my surprise I've realised that I actually like a bit of head wind. Probably pushed it a little bit running just over 2 hrs and 21 km (half a marathon - yaaaaay!!!) compared to last week when I ran 1hr 33 min and 16.3 km. I know it's the worse thing you can do but the excitement from yesterday really filled me up and my knees where fine for most of the way so I kept on going.
I took in what Sam Murphy said yesterday about not doing your long runs at a really slow pace but somewhat closer to the pace you expect to run the actual marathon. I didn't want to push it too much so ran at a really comfortable speed and only started getting a little bit tired during the last couple of kilometers. It was no way near the feeling I had after the half marathon I did in 2004, which must mean I'm a lot fitter today :) The thought of running the double distance in 10 weeks time is scary, but I'm running half a marathon at a easy, steady pace in two hours, without having to walk, so I'm sure I'll be able to do the double distance :)

Finally a fantastic run

Today I had my first really good run since mid December when I got the stupid colds that lasted til the new year, when I got a nasty chest infection. I started training again two weeks ago and even though I took it really easy to begin with, I've really been struggling to enjoy it and to find the motivation. I've lost a lot of the form I built up in November and December and it's just been so demotivating to do shorter and easier runs but feel more tired than on the longer or harder runs I did before. But, today the sun was shining and I went out for my first long run since before Xmas. It was really lovely and I absolutely enjoyed it. I feel like I'm getting my fighting spirit and motivation back and I'm really going to give it all I have now. Ran about 1h 35min so I'm not up to where I need to be yet, but I'll get there. I'm playing it safe for the moment, building it up. The last thing I need now is injury.

It went really well... then

I'm spending my third day in bed and I'm soooo bored. Started coming down with a cold a week before Xmas and it only left my poor body the day before NYE. Had 4 days of feeling ok, during which I went for a short run and then.... Then came the cough. Have now, excuse me for the expression, been coughing my lungs up for 3 days and my back and lungs are so sore from constant cough attacks. Keep taking cough medicine which makes me really drowsy so all I'm capable of is basically lying down and sleeping. Went to the doctor today and surprise, surprise, surprise it is a virus and nothing to be done. Should pass in a few days he says. Yay!

Starting to get really itchy feet from not having been for a long and proper run for over 3 weeks. Not the least cause I'm feeling time ticking away and I was really well on the way with my training, hitting about 20km on my long run. Hopefully some of the form I built up is still there when I start training again and hopefully I'm not going to be hit by yet another cold. Enough already!

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.