From 0 to a Marathon in 22 weeks.

yes, for fun and to accomodate my fondness for rocky road bites and wine!

rocky road bites? I'm trying to decide whether I want to run to stop drinking. Or run for  fun etc. I do understand why some runners do enjoy wine and or be

Enjoy your glass es of wine tonight?

I've just spent way too many years  proping up the bar .

Sinbad, spent early adult years in the Forces so know what you mean about too long propping up the bar...

As for why to run, I'm sure you'll find your motivation. I've only been running for about 20 months and for me it fell into place after the VLM. Guess I do it for a bit of both - enjoy the running to keep fit/ feel better about myself and also I enjoy cooking (therefore eating what I cook!) and am rather partial to a glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc!

Steph - any update on your plan over the next couple of Sundays? Never thought of getting into a routine for a couple of weeks before, but that does seem to make really good common sense!

Youv'e both made me think a little more about motivation and goals whilst out running over the last couple of days (as opposed to " aw, look at that cute little lamb/ foal/ squirrel over there!") and that said, will be rocking up at the Coalville 10k next Saturday morning - its a new event, trails, park etc,  and only about 5 miles down the road so I have no excuse. Have only done 3 races before (and have to say, have found the atmosphere at those really encouraging) so this may just be what I need to get a bit more enthusiasm for Leicester HM.

Hi Jen boottrunk,

That sounds good about the 10k I think you would emjoy it, so go for it.

Booktrunk, I feel like you thhis morning, lack of will power, and I looked outside, and its blowing a gale, and looks like its going to rain anyy minute as it has forecast. So I don't think I will be out training, thats 2 i missed this weekend, and I'm annoyed withh myself. It's only 6 weeks to the Manchester 10k MoRun.

No more beer till at least after that . Enjoy your Sunday.

Hi all,

Is everyone still in bed?

Well I managed to drag myself round for a run, and did an hour in gale force winds, but the rain held off.

Hope you got out Booktrunk?

HI.

Well my bed was so warm and snuggly..... In the end I got up at 9:30 oops!!  

I'd had a crappy argument with OH before bed and was still in a bad mood.  Got dressed and went out for my 10 miler.  I hadn't drunk anything, but had a couple of water bottles with me, and had a bit of a bad run.  I had a spicy meal the night before, and i found out mid run my tummy wasn't happy.  Which turned out to be embarassing and well horrible!! drunk quite a lot on the run.  Had a couple of excursions into some trees *blush* and like Sinbad had to fight insane winds, but in the end I was actually happy with the run.  10 miles 2h 1m 14s.

I'm not a speed merchant yet, and frankly I really wanted to crack 2h for it but given the conditions and how i felt i was pretty happy with that.

According to my.asics.co.uk plan.  I now have one 12k next Sunday and everything else is 5 or 8k just to keep me loose.  I might throw in a couple of extra 5 / 6km runs but that's really it now it's just a case of not getting ill. 

I only have the one injury which is a strained side muscle, and I can cope with that.. it hurts more in day to day use, rather as much if not more then running.

It's real now.  I cannot believe that given i was 15st 8 BMI 37.5 (i'm 5ft 4") in March and couldn't run 50 yards, that I can now crawl out of bed and just go for 10 miles like that and that i'm less than 2 weeks away from a marathon.  Soo excited.  My BMI is now 26.3 and i'm 10st 12.

I guess i'm pretty much ready

Timewise.... i'm still horribly slow compared to most so very optimistic target is 5h 15m, very pessemistic is 5h59m59s, but the majority of my training is on dirt paths or through fields and i do seem quicker on pavements, so I might try to do as much as possible of my training on pavements and roads as I guess that's what i will have to do in the mara.

Hi Booktrunk,

sounds like a dam good run you had in the end. The time was good even with the winds. Your on track, but I imagine its so easy to start to panic the closer an event gets. I would say from what you posted sounds pretty good.

I did an hour run Sunday, and was happy with it, distance is more of a key at the moment rather than time. But I started to stretch my legs to do a little faster, and my left calf muscle was saying go back to a plod which worked. I'm even building up longer lodding times now doing 3 or for minutesnwith just a min walk.

Not anywhere near yours and Toby3 runs, but who knows.

Enjoy your day.

Thanks Sinbad, just take it careful with your calf!!

We don't want it going and you having to take a couple of weeks off for it to heal.

Thanks,

I will bear that in mind I think i will stick to the hour plodding, and wait till it gets used to the distance. Enjoy

Hi booktrunk,

You will get it sorted.

Hi,

Bootrunk, keep us informed. Hope it heals.

Hi Steph and Sinbad,

Good on you both getting out last Sunday - weather was bloody awful!

Hope both injurys you report are feeling better today.

Steph, did you get your final Leics email instructions? Must seem very real now!

Apparently the tshirt last year was good and medal a nice bit of bling!

Good idea about framing the number. I've kept all my race numbers which has frankly been very easy seeing as there's only three of them

Hi all,

Hope it goes well for you on the run  Jen.

Cheers Sinbad,

Looking forward to it although with hectic week working away have not been able to get any rus in since Monday. Will go for a short leg stretch later today though.

Hows your training going?

Hi all,

Its sort of  going ok.

I'm going having a beer once a week, thus I miss a training session.I will find a way round it somehow. I just got back in from a run.

How do runners adjust their breathing when going up a hill? I find my breathing goes all over the place.

Remind me again which run your doing again please. Is it the 10K your doing?

That sounds like a plan Booktrunk. It be a nice way of showing us with the pics.