Week 8

08OCT12

Last week was rather a washout. On Thursday I got back late from London and just didn’t have the inclination to go running and yesterday I was in Southampton for the Fulham game so, again, by the time I got back up the M40 I just wanted to do nothing. As a result I was feeling rather guilty today so needed to make up for it by doing what should have been yesterday’s run. 10 miles which including the warm up and cool down meant two whole hours on the treadmill. I got through but I really need to think about getting out of the gym and having some different scenery to look at whilst I do this. On Thursday I’ll try the running track. This should be interesting since as of Saturday, I now wear glasses and am still adjusting to how far away the ground is.

11OCT12

Just a cheeky four miler today. All good but stuck to the treadmill as the weather was atrocious outside. The weight training I’ve been doing the last two weeks in between the runs seems to be paying off too as my left leg certainly feels stronger.

14OCT12

I was down in Southampton today so took the decision to pop across to Southsea and run today’s 11 miler around the actual course (plus a mile obviously) with the dog in tow.  It’s the first time off the treadmill which should be a bit more realistic in terms of where I’m at.  A frosty morning but very sunny and at first I took the opportunity to drive around the course to try and pick out the route and note the landmarks so I didn’t have to do too much navigation with the map I’d printed off.  I parked up at the 7 mile point as I didn’t want to run the exact race and it meant I could try and enjoy the run along the seafront at the early stages which I might not be able to do at the finish in a fortnight.  Barney and I briskly walked back to the 6 mile point (to add the extra mile and as a bit of a warm up), turned and set off.  As I passed the car I was bang on 9 minutes so considering this is supposed to be at a comfrotable pace I was going too quickly so I eased off slightly.  As I reached the cathedral at the 1 mile/ 5 mile point I managed to trip up on a broken paving slab but managed to pick myself up and carry on.  I was at about 50 minutes here so going well.  The last few miles felt quite strong and I got back to the car having averaged a little over 10 minutes per mile. So, I now know that, barring any significant injury, I can complete the race; now just a question of how quickly.

There are a few things to improve.  A bit of nipple rub needs sorting out and I need to be a bit more prepared in terms of hydration (got used to having a bottle in front of me on the treadmill).  I will definitely carry some energy gels too as I felt a bit drained at 6-7 miles.

Positives are that I won’t have to think too much about where I’m going next time so I can concentrate on running although it was very useful to get a feel for the course and the key landmarks so I can gauge the pace.  I also shouldn’t have to worry about traffic and waiting at pelican crossings and the like as well as stopping to clear up after the dog!