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21^st March 2010

This Sunday brought with it a surprising turn of events which I thought could simply not go without a mention.

In stark contrast to last week’s disappointing training session, this time I embarked on my weekly run with gusto, and felt fitter and faster than ever before. By the time Christos and I reached the 20km mark, unbelievably I was still feeling full of energy and was ready to cover the final 10km. Christos, on the other hand, was not. With a shake of his head, my personal trainer admitted defeat and for the first time ever we were forced to abandon the run and catch the tube back home. And I, the asthmatic marathon amateur, was not to blame!

Ok, admittedly Christos had run the distance alongside me suffering quietly with a hip injury. But, seeing as I had just out-run my personal trainer (who has successfully completed no less than 16 marathons), I allowed myself the pleasure of a guilty smile and vowed to finish the full 30km the following weekend.

It’s funny how some days you feel great, full of energy and ready to go. And some days you just don’t.
The Sunday morning run was to be a half marathon at a faster pace, because it was a shorter distance(!).  This time, my personal trainer and I decided just to do laps of Regent’s Park – five times around the outer circle (13.1 miles) with a target of 1hr 50minutes. It was a beautiful morning with no rain, clear skies and for a change it wasn’t cold! Perfect conditions.
Unfortunately, my dinner from Saturday night still felt heavy and I just didn’t feel up to the challenge. The first 10km was completed in a reasonably speedy 49 minutes, but then I ran out of energy. The thought of another 11km in 1 hour was definitely not an appealing one.

I really wanted to give up but Christos was in sergeant major mode.  By gently encouraging me (ok, then he nagged, cajoled and bullied me) I managed to speed up. It really was a case of putting one foot in front of the other and feeling tired but pushing myself. I crawled along but managed to speed up for the last 2 kilometres. The final time of 1 hour and 50 minutes was 10 minutes faster than my last half marathon but I felt pathetic.

Lessons to be learnt: maybe kebab and rice the night before is not the ideal energy food…well maybe just one helping would have been enough!

Sunday morning, 7^th March

On Saturday I looked at the weather reports in advance for the following day. Predicted temperatures hovering somewhere between a brisk -6ºC to -2ºC (depending on the wind chill factor) didn’t give me much to look forward to at all.

Sunday morning brought with it a slightly more gentle -1ºC and a cold wind. But at 7:30am it was already promising to be a beautiful, calm and clear day.

The route was great: I ran through Hyde Park, completed a lap of Holland Park and from there continued towards St James Park. I passed the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Bridge and ran all the way to Tower Bridge, passing by the London Eye and the Cutty Sark on the way. I then completed the loop by going back past Buckingham Palace. It was definitely a long run, but a tourist’s dream!

Once I had warmed up and the sun was out I felt great and I was doing ok until the fifteenth mile at which point my thighs started to complain.  Nevertheless, I covered a respectable distance of 17 miles in two hours and 40 minutes.

On a slightly different note, I’ve lost another pound this week. Only another six to go before the real thing!

Training in style

I am preparing for one of those weeks – work is very busy and I am planning my longest run so far of 18-miles next Sunday.

The weather forecast has become one of my most visited web pages. I am determined not to be forced in the gym again and am praying that the rain holds off! It can’t be too much to ask, after all, I am testing my willpower and resisting alcohol and heavy food the night before the run (no Saturday night meal out for me), so surely the least it can do is hold off the clouds for a few hours?

On a positive note however, I have managed to lose 1kg in weight since training started. My clothes may fit a little looser now, but there has to be an easier way???

Me on the running machine

It would seem that the weather in London is conspiring against me with regards to my training – dreadful weather has forced me into the gym on Sunday to thrash the running machines. Pounding the London pavements during a downpour is just not my idea of fun.

My gym at Lords Cricket Ground is perfectly equipped for my training needs though, and despite not managing to spot any famous faces (there’s usually an England cricketer or two, and I once ran next to Sir Paul McCartney) I still successfully covered a dry 15km in 77 minutes.

Managed to get soaked on the way home though.