London Marathon Training: Week 5

Another week has passed, and I will be honest, it has flown by! It has been a very busy week for me work wise and I knew I would need to make conscious effort not just to get my running in, but also to make sure I looked after myself. It is something very easy to let slip in the whirlwind that is life - let alone when you throw in running 40 odd miles a week into the mix!

MONDAY: Body Pump class

TUESDAY: rather than a form of interval run, this week my plan specified 7 miles of fartlek aka 'speed play' (I learnt this way back in GCSE PE!) On runs like these I tend to plan a hillier route which naturally demands my body to work harder on different gradients/run at different speeds. I quite enjoyed the change, and I personally find it much more effective way of approaching fartlek training than just running and trying to make myself go faster on certain streets etc. 

WEDNESDAY: Tuesday had a been a long day work-wise; I got to work for 8:30am and arrived home just before 9pm. When my alarm went of this morning to run I just did not feel refreshed, physically I probably could have ran, but mentally I was tired. I was not due to be working in the evening, so decided to try an evening run. Post work it was then a different story, mentally I felt much more recharged to take on 8 miles, but physically I was weary from a busy day. My 8 miles were supposed to be slow/recovery, and it was just as well, as I could not have upped my pace from a steady plod even if I wanted to!

THURSDAY: it was track night at Run Cub tonight, so I was pleased to allow my body the extra recovery and to be able run in the evening again. I am much more of a morning runner, but with club it is different as the inspiration and motivation of others pushes me. Having said this, after another full on day at work, as I sat in my car at the track I felt I had no energy, a weary mind and it was also flipping freezing! I did not feel 'up' for the session, and even less so when the pyramid set we were running was outlined to me; it was tough. This is when the magic of running kicked in though; as soon as I started to run everything was forgotten and suddenly I became focused on just me and my strides. I slotted in with a few other club mates and  we tackled a 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m descending pyramid, with 400m recovery in between each distance. Together we kept a strong pace throughout and I was really pleased with my splits. I left the track feeling energised and strong, very different to how I arrived. 

FRIDAY: Rest Day

SATURDAY: my original plan for this week was to, as usual, run my long run on a Sunday. I was already dreading this a little though as I was due at work for 10am, which would mean needing to be out the house for 6am and getting up at 4am to eat... slightly crazy I know. I was then alerted to the predicted arrival of Storm Ciara on Sunday with a threat of 'danger to life' winds. It was all sounding a little dire! Thankfully I was saved by the offer of a long run on Saturday; and it turned out to be a really good alternative in many ways. Some of you may have read in past blogs that my workplace, Lincoln City Foundation (who I love working for even though sometimes I am very busy!), have partnered with Curly's Athletes to hold the Lincoln City Half Marathon in September 2020 (more info here: www.lincolncityhalfmarathon.co.uk) On Friday, one of the guys at Curly's said they were coming to Lincoln to try the parkrun and did I fancy doing a recce of the half marathon route after wards. It may as well have been a rhetorical question! So that is what I did; I ran my Lincoln parkrun (in a conservative 24 minutes, which was actually really enjoyable) and then headed out for 13 more miles testing out the event route - which will all be revealed in the forthcoming weeks! I loved running with someone and the distance flew by, and it was also exciting to imagine thousands of people running these steps in a few months time. I ran quicker than my normal long run pace of late, around the 8:20 min/mile marker but felt really strong. I loved the route too - but maybe I am slightly bias!

SUNDAY: with 3 miles left to run this week I had the intention of getting these logged before going to work. However, Storm Ciara sounded scarily violent outside my window and I decided to wait until later in the day and review the conditions. When I got home later on it was still very windy, however I was mentally a bit worn out from a sixth day at work and I really just needed some form of release and I guess some 'me time'. I laced up for 3 easy miles, with my pace very much dictated by the wind direction! It was what I needed and a nice way to end a busy but rewarding week. ​