So, thanks for reading and I will be in touch if and when I finish the marathon!

I had a plan, a cunning plan it was as cunning as a fox who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University.  It didn’t work.  Basically I read an interesting article on the world wide internet web about the run/walk strategy.  Run for a bit, walk for a bit rather than trying to plod through the whole run non stop.  I tried it, it was going swimmingly 9 minutes of running followed by a minute of walking.  I was powering along, and then I bolloxed my foot.  I don’t know what I’ve done, I don’t remember how I did it but it got sore, then numb, then I got pins and needles in it.  I took my (absolutely honking) sock off and gave it a rub.  I started up and managed about 5 minutes of running before I had to stop.  I was 8 miles from home, cold, wet and annoyed.

You can guess from this post that I made it home but only just.  I ran for a bit, I walked for a bit I hobbled a lot.  The important thing is, I made the full 20 miles.  I didn’t have any water with me so I’m confident that with proper hydration and the cheers and support of a crowd I’ll finish the race.  I’m not so confident I’ll finish it under 4 1/2 hours like I originally hoped.  After I moaned, groaned and cleaned up I checked the London Marathon results.  Those elite runners are taking the piss, 2 fudging hours to run 26 miles how in the name of baby jesus and the orphans do they do it?

So I’m done with the big runs, apart from the obvious Big One.  Next weekend is 10 miles then it gradually tapers down to 2 miles.  They say that training is the hard part and there’s no doubt it is, but those extra 6 miles and 385 yards are going to be utter torture.  I can safely say I never want to train for another marathon again!

Last Sunday saw me out for an easy 10 mile run, and it was anything but easy. However, for the first time ever in this training programme I was out in just my shorts and tshirt. The sun was shining and it was a lovely morning, by the afternoon it was pissing with rain of course and it hasn’t stopped since but it is only British Summer Time, don’t expect too much! As the title suggests I have only really got 3 more big runs to do, and that includes the marathon. 18 miles this weekend, then 20 miles 2 weeks after that then my training runs drop right down to 2 miles a few days before The Big Race. Its a thought that should fill me with some positivity, however, I know how sore it was after 16 so each of those big runs is guaranteed to bring me severe pain and suffering, worse than childbirth by all accounts!

I am due to do a couple of small midweek runs this week, in fact this morning I was due to head out but truth be told I’ll be damned if I’m going out in the driving rain and howling wind.  I’ve signed up for my last game of football before the marathon so that’ll be my training for this week.  The easter weekend sees me off for 4 days so along with my 18 miler I may head out for another wee saunter at some point.  My headphones broke, so I have fancy new sports ones bought from Argos for the grand price of 6 pounds.  Money well spent.  I’ve ditched the Nike+ tracks and am back to Girls Aloud’s Greatest Hits and the Top Gun soundtrack.  Let the good times roll, except for Goose.  Silly Goose.  Until next time, toodleoo.

I’ve discovered a horrible new affect of running, the toxic 10 minutes, its as bad as it sounds! Its all to do with cold muscles and lactic acid I think, basically its the first couple of miles of a run you feel like stopping after each step. Your legs feel heavy and you just want to give up. So that’s the toxic 10 minutes to look forward to at the start, and the wall to look forward to after a good number of miles. I really do think I’ll just be running the one marathon in my lifetime!

“How’s the training going?” I hear you ask, pretty well I think.  I had my longest run of the training plan on Sunday, 14.15 miles, it took me 2 hours 16 minutes and 33 seconds.  Quite a slow pace overall but after hitting the wall on the previous weeks’ 12 mile run I decided to take it easy.  I managed to run without stopping, which is a good achievement but I’d have another 12 miles to run on the day.  The enormity of this run really is beginning to hit home.  Training is taking a bit of a hit as well, I don’t have showers available to use in the afternoon and a combination of activities and business trips over the next couple of weeks means I may have to rely on my weekend runs to keep me going.  Thankfully this weekend is a paltry 6 mile run, I may get up early on Friday and go for a run after cycling into work.  May.

My shorter runs have been going well, 3 miles at least twice a week, although I have now given up football on Thursday nights so should be able to get out for 3 short runs and one longer one.  As the miles pick up, the trainers get even more wrecked looking, thankfully splashing through puddles is keeping them reasonably clean and fresh smelling!

Until next time, and it could be a while!  Cheerio.

I ache now though, my knees feel like they might break (although my dicky knee has held up well and isnt really sore), my thighs object (not literally) at every stair I have to go up and both Achilles hurt with every step I take.  I really can’t wait to see what sort of state I’ll be in after the marathon, I might look into wheelchair hire though.

These Nike + running playlists are a bit shit it has to be said.  The De La Soul one was awful, the LCD Soundsystem one had a couple of decent tracks but mostly it was just noise!  Time to put The Best of Girls Aloud back onto the ipod.

Oh I weighed myself on Sunday morning and couldn’t believe it when the scales said 14 stone 6, so I weighed myself again this morning and I was bang on 14 stone.  Stupid scales.

I’d spent the day before in the beautiful! town of Kirkcaldy, beers, a rubbish game of football and chicken pakoras at midnight maybe isn’t the best preparation before a big race but I soldiered on, like a true athlete would!

I started this blog entry on Sunday and have only got round to posting it, I apologise for its vagueness and what not, but I’m off out for another run soon so better get it posted!

So there I was trudging along the quayside minding my own business when a lorry driver decided that a stop sign didn’t apply to him, if I didn’t sprint and get out the way quick snap I’d have been pretty flat by now.  Of course I voiced my displeasure at him, but he was foreign and didn’t seem to notice.  I continued my run and the lorry slowly drove past me, I got to another road crossing before him and started to cross over.  At this point he had stopped, clueless as to where to go so he decided to turn into the road I was crossing.  Another sprint and some gesticulation this time, bloody idiot!  I soon got into my rhythm again and was bombing along the beachfront and I passed not one, not two but three other runners.  It felt good, eat my dust slow coaches!  Then I decided to see how long I’d been running for, 0:00:00.  Brilliant.

The run felt good, my knee help up well and the pace was, I think, pretty fast.  The only downside (aside from almost dying) was the fact my head was a big sweaty mess.  I  need a woolly hat to stop the sweat getting in my eyes but its getting warmer now so I may need to invest in a *gulp* head band of sorts.  Watch this space.

Music wise, I got a hold of A-Trak’s “Running Man: Nike + Original Run”.  Its a 45 minute compilation of upbeat techno and hip-hop designed especially to help you keep your pace up.  It seemed to work, there are others available including one by De La Soul and another by LCD Soundsystem, I may need to get them too.  Watch this space too.