Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Facing Up To The Rain

by Russell Turner - 20:20 on 06 April 2018

I made it – just. My final long run is over. Eighteen miles in 3:31 hours, the last mile walked. The thought of another 90+ minutes and eight miles is daunting. Coach Matchgirl reckons that after two weeks of rest, and with the London Marathon atmosphere, I’ll find unsuspected reserves inside me. They’re well hidden at the moment.

The positives: I plodded manfully on through drizzle and light rain that lasted most of the run; the Met Office lied. My pace was controlled and my intake of water and gels could not have been bettered. I completed the full 3.5hrs.

Less good was that I again began to run out of steam after 14 miles, but at least a probable reason has been identified: my determination to run too much. I began with 40-minute runs interspersed with 3-4-minute walk and gel breaks, which (for me) is a fine routine for completing a half marathon but with hindsight is over-optimistic for ending a full one with a smiling face.

I’ve now decided that on The Big Day I’ll revert to an earlier strategy: run two miles (22-23mins) and walk quarter of a mile (approx 3mins). Two miles had seemed such a wimpy distance to follow with a break but it seems that less is definitely more.

The route looks underwhelming because I ran to the Newmills T-junction and back six times.

Although I returned to The Rural Retreat walking like an old man, and had a bit of a struggle getting up and down stairs, Matchgirl has been complimentary with regard to my efforts, which she points out have reached 18 miles from a very small base. To be precise, the Garmin shows 300.7 miles covered since my first step on the couch to 5k, fours days less than six months ago.

Hopefully the whimpering and groaning will have disappeared by tomorrow or she might be less sympathetic.

My giving page now stands at £425 (plus Gift Aid). If you’d like to help push it past £500 (you don’t have to give the full £76) just click on uk.virginmoneygiving.com/bassman99 The cats and moon bears will be delighted.

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