Two things are crucial for a blogger. The first is a reliable internet connection, which after an aborted attempt to change providers and a loan of an ethernet cable I now have. The second is to be involved in the subject that one is talking about.
There is an argument that I am involved in what my blog says, namely that it is entitled "how not to run a marathon" and I have done so little running since Christmas that I am neck deep in the how not to aspect.
With only 4 weeks to go until my next marathon (Brighton, April 10th) I thought I'd take look back at this years runs and my reasons (excuses) for not running more and also how my marathon training is going now that most people are heading towards the point of tapering before the big day.
At the end of December, as we headed towards a new year, my mind was full of the things I'd like to acheive in running in 2011. A sub 4 marathon, a 1hr40 half marathon, 10k in less than 40mins, or would it be the number of marathons I did in the year (2 in 2010, should I push for 4 in 2011?), maybe go faster over the shorter distances and get as many league points as possible.
It was with all this in mind that Christmas came and went and I did no running, after all it was only a few days of eating and drinking. Then the new year and a lovely trip to Padstow (disappointing fish and chips from Rick Stein) again no running, but it was only a few day of drinking and eating. The new year trip also meant I'd missed the first WSFRL race of the season.
January was so cold and the sofa was so comfortable, combined with a shift pattern due to which I missed most Arunners club nights meant I had to play my new PS3 games. But there was a league race to do, I got off the sofa for that.
Plumpton was on a sunny but chilly Sunday morning, it was three laps of the racecourse and an out and back section on a country lane. A distance of little over 4 miles. I finished it but it took a while. Other club runners who had kept up the running where way ahead of me and I even got asked if I'd gone round twice.
Worthing Lido a week later was a bit better. Again a distance of about 4 miles but this time flat along the seafront. I started of slowly in attempt to pace myself, I thought I'd gradually work my way up the field. This I did but then came what is now my traditional mid race walk and 30 or 40 runners merrily overtaking me. My time was, I felt, fairly reasonable but still not as quick as I had been.
Since these races I have been to the running club a bit more often (3 or 4 times in two months) and even had a fairly good handicap run, 5k in 22mins, improving on my last performance by 9 secs. But apart from that nothing.
That is until the beginning of March and something has clicked. Never put off tomorrow what you can do today, never run tomorrow what you can run today. I think the spur was the improved handicap time. This showed me that I was getting back some of my lost fitness.
I have already this month spent more time in the gym than the previous 3 or 4 months and have been on the roads a few times. My speed is improving as is my endurance. But what is driving me?
The weather is warmer, I've finished the PS3 games but the sofa is still comfortable. I haven't decided what my running target for the year should be, I'm not raising money for a charity. Do I feel better in myself after a run? Not especially. My drive is my diary. A realisation has dawned on me, Marathon was only 6 weeks away, then 5 and now 4. I kept on saying I'd start my marathon training tomorrow, but I'm running out of tomorrows.
I'm going to go out for a run today, and tomorrow. Depending on the weather.
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