The Aftermath!!

Well, its all over............. for now anyway!!

I really enjoyed this years marathon, more than any ive done so far. I have come to a few conclusions why this is:

1. I did more long runs this time 20/22/23/20/23. I feel this made me more physically and mentally prepared for the later miles that are always so hard. I did find the last 6 tough, but bearably tough. I felt i was in a good place mentally, was overtaking people - which helps with the mental side, i could smile at the crowd and my fastest miles of the whole run were the last 3!!

2. I did more mid week meduim long runs at marathon pace (8-10m). I feel this renforced the pace i needed to run at and got me "used" to how it feels.

3. Hills - did 4 or 5 hard hill sessions - gradually increasing the reps over each week. I guess this would mean increased leg strength.

4. Stretching. I made a concious effort to spend time on stretching, after every run and more time on it after a long run. I find this makes my legs feel less tight again, during those last miles when things wont move quite so freely!!

I find to calm my nerves at the start - i take advantage of being at the green start by going on "Celebrity Watch".

This year was very successful. Last year i got a photo with Nell Mcandrew, this year i excelled myself and got one with the most gorgeuos James Cracknell!! I also saw Ronan Keating who is a midget! Also Floella Benjamin, Sue Barker, The Massai warriors (not really celebs, but they were for that day!!) Ben Fogle, Amanda Holden to name but a few!

So, another marathon under my belt. And i now have been told to take a month off running by my physio. Basically to get my achilles well and truly sorted. I dont want to be plagued with it any longer, so am going to do as im told and not run. So i shall be doing long bike rides as oppose ot long runs, also gym work, weights etc. I feel it will probaly do me the world of good not just for my achilles but for all my body.

Carbs Carbs Everywhere!

Ive been food shopping today and as i look over into my kitchen, i am thinking..... maybe ive bought a bit too much!!

Ive got sooooooooooo many carbs i cant fit them all in the cupboard space i have!! Theres a huuuuuge bag of brown pasta, white pasta, brown rice, 4 bottles of 1.5l water, crumpets, muffins, potatoes, rice pudding, bananas!!

I look at it and think how on earth am i going to fit all that in my body!!

I am really quite scared, nervous and excited now. Even though i have done it twice before. I think that can actually make it worse, as i know what im in for!! I wasnt this nervous on my first marathon.

To reassure Lindsay, i dont think there will be snow, the forecasts ive seen say around 10 degress, possibly some light showers. It keeps changing though! Yesterday it said showers, today it says clear skies, but definatley no snow!

Looking forward to the Expo on Thurs, i love it there! I spend hours just wandering around listening to the talks and browsing all the stands and i do tend to spend a fair bit! Ive intentionally not spent my christmas money, so i have more to take with me! You can get some real bargains. Shall be making a visit to the Garmin stand to see the new 405 in action and shall enter the competition they have running where you can win one - as i certainly wont be buying one, well, not for at least a year until the price has come down!

Zurich Running

This is where i spend my time when im in Zurich - either in the hotel or out and about in the woods nearby the hotel, running!

Paranoia!

Well, its taper time, so that means its Paranoia time!!

I find every worry possible starts creeping into your head - have i done enough training, have i done too much training, have i done enough long runs, did i do them too fast/too slow etc etc !!

I feel that at the end of the day, over my 16 weeks training, i have done my best and thats all anyone can do. It really is trial and error i find, getting the training/nutrition/rest/ ratio right. As each marathon comes and goes i do learn how my body reacts to situations, what works, what doesnt, but it still hard to get it just right, as you continually push yourself that bit more to achieve your own personal targets and goals.

I have been resting more recently, well, by rest i mean, not running, ive still been cross training in the gym, to still get in some cardio. I have been advised by my physio that to keep my achilles functioning reasonably well, i should run every other day, not consecutive. To be honest, i have found that my energy levels have then been better on the next run, having that day "off" in between.

Did my final long run today - 18m, i was expecting it be dreadful, but was pleasantly surprised and pleased that it was quite successful. Felt strong the whole way and my achilles behaved.

So the countdown is now on, not much more can be done now i feel training wise, ive done all i can do now, im going to focus on stretching and 4 runs next week, one of those being 12m.

Shall be working on my "head" too, trying to get into the "zone" and keep telling myself i can do it and that i will achieve my goal and generally trying to keep positive about it all!!

Try to push away the dreaded paranoia!

Forced Rest!!

Well, it has happened again, like the past 2 years marathon training - Ive been forced to rest.

Ive been "managing" an achilies situation, i have been able to train throughout. Ive been having physio and doing loads of re-hab exercises. Which for an achillies is all about doing eccentric movements. Its the lowering part of the move that apparently help to reform the fibres in the tendon. So i have to do what my physio calls "drop offs". Which is calf raises but rather than going up on both toes, i go up on my good leg, swap over to my bad still sqeezing out through the toes, then lower the ankle down on the bad, then continue. So the bad leg only ever lowers down off the step, never raises up.

Anyhow, i saw him on Monday and he told me i should not run for the rest of the week! When someone says that you, it feels like an eternity - A WEEK!!!! He said to give myself a fighting chance for the marathon i need to rest now.

So, like all previous years, when ive got an injury during marathon training and ended up having to take time off from running - im now convincing myself that all my fitness has gone and i need surgery. My state of mind goes into very negative, doom and gloom mode. I do try to over rule this voice with the "sensible voice" in my head, but i think like most of us, the negative one seems to win!

So, im not running and trying to still keep active, as im away this week in Zurich, ive not got access to my usual gym and i have to use the gym in the hotel, which isnt that great. So it doesnt fill me with enthusiasm to go there.

Im seeing Keith (physio) on Sunday evening when i get back from work and hoping things would have settled down a bit. I want it to be fixed in one week of rest!! I know this is not the case and hopefully a week of not running will have given things a chance to settle down.

Another long one done!

Today i was meant to be running at Silverstone. I didnt though! My reasons were that its quite a long way, meaning not getting back til late, it doesnt start til 12, i could have done a long run by then and my plan says 3 hours for today. Note to self: do not enter so many races, i end up not doing them, in favour of running locally!!

I do try to not be a "slave to the training plan" but i do find i feel far more in control and feel my training is going well, if i stick to the plan as much as i can. I am using a Runners World plan and have done so since my first marathon, so am used to their format. Im still doing my weights sessions as well at the moment and am not feeling massivley tired from doing those and the running , so will continue doing so for another 2/3 weeks. Shall start reducing it in the last couple weeks.

So, back to today, was aiming for 3 hours running. I ended up with 3.18 and 23 miles. This is all down to my new, absolutley super sexy Kayano 14's !! They are the sexiest, most amazing trainers ive ever had! Very sad i know to get sooooo excited over trainers - but i do. The new 14's have more cushoining in them and are 50g - yes a whole 50g lighter! And surprisingly i did notice they weighed less. I usually feel my balls getting a bit tender by around 18 ish miles (balls of my feet that is!!) But oh no, not in the new Kayano's. But not only do they do their job extremely well, they look the business as well! I have a "thing" about trainers and just love new ones. They are all sparkly clean and smell just soooooooo good!!

So today was another successful run , made an extra effort to run a bit slower, after reading Lindsays advice in her last blog. Even though i enjoy a long run, it always feels good to finish. Especially when you see the totals on your Garmin and you see you've burnt 2400 calories. Ahhhhhh extra chocolate for me today then!!! Ive earnt it and ive already burnt it off!

Faffing about!!

After speaking to Catherine in the gym this week and reading Lindsays blog, ive realised that im not only one that faffs!!

By this, i mean faffing about before my long run, silly things for me, like tidying up, putting things in order, watching MTV dance!! Things that really dont need to be done RIGHT then, but i seem to have to!

Then during the run, i faff!! I fiddle with my tights, pulling them up, moving them over a bit, moving them back, re adjusting my sports bra, then deciding that my trainers are too tight, stopping to sort them out, etc etc. Its just faffing, that doesnt need to be done!! But i do!! And so it seems, do other people!!

Anyhow, did my "not so long run" this week, which was good , but felt a bit tired towards end. Was a bit of a shorter long run this week as ive done 3 weeks of long long runs, then the next 3 weeks long runs are a 20/20/23 ! Phew!! then taper.

Im sure this faffing during runs must use up a lot of energy, so i really must try to stop it!! A 3 hour run is not a 3 hour run, its a 3 hr 20 min run, as faffing time needs be built in !!