Marathon training update

Yes, I know I've been rather less than diligent in blogging my marathon training. I have been doing the actual training (well, most of it), I just haven't been blogging. Which is annoying, actually, because it would have been good to have some kind of record to look back on (just in terms of what it felt like, etc, as all my training in terms of miles and hours is logged on Garmin Connect and Fetch).

It's been up and down, really, as I seem to have alternated good runs and crap runs. Happily my longest run of 19 miles was one of the better ones, despite weather conditions which may well have been the worst I've ever run in - howling gales, torrential rain, etc. Got more drenched than I've ever been, including having a small lake sloshing around inside my trainers, but managed to run the entire distance in 3:28:18, i.e. just under 11 minute miles, which I was pretty pleased with, and felt surprisingly good most of the way, even grinning dementedly at the passers-by who, huddled under their brollies, no doubt wondered what on earth was wrong with me. Enjoyed this run much more than the previous week's 17-miler when I struggled most of the way and took ever increasing walk breaks from about 10 miles onwards.

It may be that atrocious weather conditions suit me best. This may be good preparation for Inverness in October.

As ever one of the main challenges has been fitting in the time to run. Long runs have been OK as I've been doing them on a Tuesday afternoon when daughter is at nursery. Everything else has had to be fitted in as and when. With the inevitable result that a few (though not many) have been missed. Unfortunately over the past few weeks the ones which have been missed have tended to be the speedwork ones, and I definitely seem to be getting slower, although I did manage 7 miles at 9:43 pace on Sunday - but it was hard work. And that was on a flat route, with not even many hills to contend with.

Phoned the B&B yesterday to confirm booking and request an early breakfast. Apparently B&B is chock full of marathon runners so early porridge and banana no problem. Just as well, as have to be at the pick-up point at the unearthly hour of before 8am for transport to the start. Since the race itself doesn't start till 10am, this seems to potentially involve an awful lot of feeling sick and queueing for the toilet time.

Nerves are starting to kick in now, as the magnitude of the undertaking gradually dawns on me...