Mileage 10; Time 1 hour 21 minutes; Weekly Mileage 28 miles
As i write this blog in my Marks & Spencer underpants, cup of peppermint tea and Silk Cut on the go. Legs aching from a 10 mile run, back aching from i don't know what, gut gurgling from Tikka Masala and head tired from an attack of Ben & Jerrys last night, i think to myself. Hope i feel better than this next week. One week to go until the London Marathon. EEk
I have self induced fatigue through eating sugar and sweets too much. Clearly my system doesnt like it. Will i ever learn. Maybe i should change my name. If Will:I:Am can do it maybe i can too, Will:I;Ever:Learn? Well i have a week to do so.
The Taper is on, so i had scheduled my final 'long one' of 10 miles today. 10 miles is nothing right? I've done that distance and more around 10 - 12 times times in training. Now if you're a proper runner, the taper process (scaling down mileage) is a great process. You have done all your heavy mileage and now is time to rest a bit, eat more carbs, scale down the miles and take it nice and easy.
But to an insane, lazy, alcoholic, procrastinator. When you hear 'Taper' You hear a freedom pass to doing fuck all for 3 weeks apart from eat every bit of shit in my path. Croissants, Hot cross buns, crumpets, sweets, chocolate, ice cream, cereal and more whilst laying around doing bugger all. I'm tapering see. Thats what i heard.
I have never really followed the traditional taper for endurance events. Sometimes i have got it nailed better than other times. For instance my marathon in 2009, when i ran a 3 hours 37 min London, i ate good healthy carbs prepared lovingly by my ultra fit and healthy girfriend at the time. Don't get me wrong i still smoked like a chimney but i was in great shape.
Then on the other scale, my Ironman of 2010, i ate every bit of chocolate the night before and stayed up shagging until 2AM, not highly recommended for a 13 hour event with just 3 hours kip and a soapy tit wank for preperation. I'm pretty sure i havent read that in any endurance manuals. Still did it in 13 hours and 20 minutes though. Stallion.
Then last years marathon, 2011. I felt in the past i had carb loaded too much & went into marathons feeling bloated and sluggish. Like a cross between John Prescott and a fridge. Not the lithe energetic athlete i wanted to feel. So i decided not too eat much in the way of carbs. I didn't train loads and held back on carbs throughout to try and get myself used to it. Big mistake. I burnt out on 20 miles and not only hit the wall, but a fence, garden, house, fort, castle too. I was fucked and came in 4 hour and 7 minutes. Terrible
So, today i dragged myself out for 10 miles, around Richmond park. When i'm in that state my head just wants to stop (and eat Haagen Daazs) & resultingly the run was pretty gruelling and not enjoyable. It was tough. Heavy legged, slow and aching. It's not going to make any difference to marathon day but i wanted to do it for my head sakes. Better to get a bad one out of the way before the day rather than on it.
Clearly my challenge this week is to try and prepare myself physically. Eat well, rest, stretch, get rid of fatigue, stay clear of sugar and caffeiene. The Mileage is done, i'm probably one or even two 20 milers short of the ideal preperation. I have pain in my toes when i run but i am pretty much injury free. I'm in decent shape
I'm not really fired up yet, so i will look at race strategy this week. fuelling and mental attitude. I will try to get myself into a positive state of mind. Where i will enjoy it but focus. To feel good about myself physically and mentally. I have been visualising the day, the crowd, the buzz of London Marathon, as it is a special London day, but sometimes when you're chugging out the miles in Richmond park, empty, wind blowing (internal and external), lots of miles still to come it is mentally challenging. Still. That is Marathon running. It's what you sign up for.
I have continued all the supplements, taking more pills than Pete Doherty. I am drinking freshly squeezed vegetable juices and the devils sperm itself, Spirulina. Lets hope this week, i can get myself eating well and it will all come good in a weeks time. I reckon i will as one thing i have this year beyond all my other times is awareness. I know my faults, my addictions, my habits and my default settings. So my job this week is to stop talking about changing them. But actually do it.
I always forget change is an action not a theory. Keep that one close to my heart this week and there will be no stopping me next week. Bring it on!
Have a great week my lovely readers, 28 miles completed, 105 days and we are down to the last week. God, even writing that has just made me excited and get 'the buzz'. See, this blog does work. if not for you, then certainly for me. I always seem to change my thinking from when i start writing to the end. For that reason alone this blog is worth it.
Have a great week readers and mucho love to all
xx
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