12 Miles!

Today's run: 12 miles / 19.31 km in 2:18:22.
Injury check: Bit of pain in both knees.
Support crew: Rob (cycling) and Robert (running).
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Today was much better than last week, for two main reasons:

• No uphills
• Awesome support crew

I carefully planned this route to avoid awful hills. There were a few bits of uphill but they weren't as bad as last week and they were much earlier in the run, meaning that when I was struggling at the end I didn't also have to cope with a literal uphill battle... 

Consequently the route was a little boring - out and back along the footpath to Harpenden - but my support crew kept me in a much better mood than I managed last week! The difference it makes having people with me is immense. The conversation and the company from my guys kept the smile on my face most of the way around. 

The weather was cold but not as cold as I'd been fearing, although the wind was pretty bitter along the more exposed sections of the path. I had a good moment when we overtook a pair of runners - who were also training for the marathon, as it turned out. It's quite nice to have people in your sights and chase them down...!

Even though the footpath is tarmac, and therefore slightly lower impact than concrete pavement, my knees were complaining towards the end and over the last couple of miles I was definitely slowing down. My thighs were aching too, so after stretching out and eating some hot, tasty food, I actually tried the cold water bath again. I cheated a little bit again, running hot water around my feet to stave off aching toe bones, but I stayed in the cold for a full 3 minutes. If that makes a shred of difference to my recovery speed, I shall report it here. 

When I signed up to the Reading Half Marathon (17th March) as part of my training I put down an estimated time of 2hours45. Judging by today, I'm now hoping to be able to beat that, and maybe even scrape in under 2hours30. 

Watch this space.

With Friends Like These

Today's run: 2.94 km (1.83 miles) in 21:57.
Injury check: All clear.
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A shorter run today, by design. It was a bit easier today than the last run and I managed a slightly quicker pace throughout as well. It was, however, quite cold. Blustery and chilly. And the skin on my legs went numb, reminding me vividly of school PE lessons outside in the winter. It might be time to treat myself to some more snazzy running gear - to get me through the colder months. 

I'm still charting my distance with an app on my phone but I don't have it talking me through the distance any more, since I decided to concentrate on just increasing my time. Of course, if I had known my exact distance on the finishing mark then I would have managed that last 600m to make it an even 3k. Never mind: next time.

I've now started telling people that I'm running the marathon. Up until now - until it was official - I didn't want to admit that I'd signed up to something so unlike me. Here are some of the reactions I've got so far:

Me: I'm doing the London marathon next year.

Friend #1: You crazy fool.

Me: I'm running the marathon next year.

Friend #2: What would you go and do that for?!

Me: I'm running the London marathon.

Friend #3: (laughter)

Friend #4: Do you think it's a good idea, with your knee?

Me: No, I don't think it's a good idea at all!

But after the laughter and commiserations on my foolishness, there was support, and even a couple of offers to help me train. With friends like these, how can I fail?

Group Therapy

There are times when friends have to support each other through thick and thin.


There are also, apparently, times when friends realise that they have all agreed to do the marathon, and gather together to commiserate over the fact that they have evidently taken leave of their senses. And also to shop. 


First there was brunch, and then it was on to the running shop to get fitted for new trainers - because going on a treadmill was exactly what we all felt like doing after tucking into these delicious brunch goods:

The breakfast of lunatics

But running gear had to be purchased, so on we went. After three out of four of us walking around barefoot in the shop (and all three being told we had feet that try to roll inwards on us), and trying on at least five pairs of trainers each (and going for mini test-runs out of the shop and back each time), we finally bought the shoes. And then rewarded ourselves with coffee.


In all honesty, I wasn't really planning on buying trainers, I just thought I'd see what the man said about my feet/walk/run. But seeing as I bought my current pair of trainers on the basis that they were the least expensive pair I could get in the last running I shop I visited (two years ago), maybe splashing out a bit on the right pair of shoes will be the sensible thing to do before embarking on a full training regime. That makes sense, right? Good. 


Also, I like buying things for me...