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Saturday 22 March 2014

Last long run...done!

Last two weeks training:
Mon 10th March: 5 mile run
Tues 11th March: rest (Pizza Come Dine With Me and pudding extravaganza at Mel's...practice of carb loading)
Wed 12th March: 3 mile walk, 7 mile run
Thurs 13th March: gym (1km run, 20 min cross trainer, 10 min bike)
Fri 14th March: 13 mile run (inc. 9.5 on Ilkley Moor)
Sat 15th March: 10 km run
Sun 16th March: 10 km run
Total: 48 miles

Mon 17th March: 45 min spinning class
Tues 18th March: 7 mile run
Wed 19th March: 6 mile walk
Thurs 20th March: rest
Fri 21st March: 35.5 mile run, walk 5 miles
Sat 22nd March: Andrew is back! First run since injury! :-)
Total: 53.5 miles

The first week was a bit of a low point in my training plan to be honest (apart from Mel's pizza night, which was epic!). At the time I was totally fed up with everything, felt really intimidated by the race, but at the same time a bit disconnected from it, and felt that all the training I was doing really boring and it was all pointless. I think though, this could have been from all the training which had built up by that point that can make you feel a bit tired, and the race was still a bit too far away to feel excited/really scared about yet, and everyone else was off doing nice stuff at the weekend, and I had to stay in Leeds and do work, and everything all felt DULL! So, I remember this poem that I saw somewhere once, I really like it, and even though nothing had gone wrong, I guess it's relevant (especially the road being uphill part - true, roads are all uphill

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit"

OK OK don't quit! Be motivated! 

This week has been loads better. Only 3 weeks today until the race! Did my last long training run yesterday, the same route as last time along the Thames to Richmond, 35.5 miles and I felt good again :-) Weather was good again too - good times!

                                    

Tried out a new snack routine too:


Made up some bags of....Haribo, jelly babies, mini eggs and fruit and nuts....mmm mmmm!!! One bag every 10 miles. Seemed to work OK. I lasted 10 miles between each OK, although I was pretty hungry by the end and feeling a bit dizzy, so I guess I should either have had more food, or had it more regularly. But I guess on the race the checkpoints are more frequent than that, and there are snacks at them, so that should be OK.  Also, due to being starving at the end, I remembered chocolate milk which people always used to say was good to have at the end of a long run and I always used to love it, but had forgotten about it. Down in one! 

Finished the run in 6 hours 20 which is pretty close to last time I did it. I outran the watch (well, I kind of forgot to charge it) - it only lasted 20 miles, and I did 35, hahaha!

Also, I was proper hungry all the rest of the day and today too, which I didn't really feel last time I did this run, but is more normal for me after a long run! So, after I got back and had a shower and more food and felt better, I walked back into town to meet some of my old work friends for a drink, so good to catch up! Tried walking, because I've found walking after a long run helps to help the old legs feel less stiff the next day. Didn't even get to town before was hungry again...argh! So had to stop and get a snack. Also, sooo thirsty! So, after drinks was starving AGAIN, Andrew is at home...what to have for dinner??! Am in Sainsburys....they have Indian takeaways which I always wanted to try....treat time!

I there is one thing that is really really rubbish, it's disappointing food! And Sainsbury's takeaway is really rubbish! :-( Bah! I was thinking about a good dinner for at least 20 miles today! Huh :-(

But today has been a good food day! Cheese scones for lunch:



And banana bread for afternoon tea:


And now spaghetti bologanse for tea :-)

So, that's it for long runs now before the race. After all that...I think I'm going to miss them! So, I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do now before the race. I'm doing a 15 mile fell race next Saturday, which I think is going to be really tough, but good hill practice (and navigation practice, or failure, I'm not sure), and apart from that I guess just keep it ticking over for a couple of weeks, and then ease off for the last week. Starting to get excited about it now!  

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