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.
Replanning The Plan
by Russell Turner - 17:44 on 14 August 2022
My advanced London Marathon training plan has become a bit more ad hoc over the last couple of weeks, since the failed 14-mile debacle, and will continue to be so. Life was so much easier during lockdown in 2020 when there was nothing to do but train and bake cakes.
Following my sub-1hr triumph at York last Sunday, and the weary drive home the next day, I limited myself to a 5k recovery run on what would have been long run day and took another crack at 14 miles (which my plan had down as 16) the day after. Fortunately, because of the heat I set out at a 4:1 run/walk and kept it up to the finish, with no thoughts of stopping. My ankle was sore by the end but mysteriously fine the next day.
The delayed long run meant that Week 10 of the plan began on Friday with a mixed easy/tempo run, followed by a waste-of-time gig in the evening. The Foundry is one of City Limits’ favourite venues, but as Amy Macdonald was playing just up the road our audience was on the sparse side. We still got paid the same though.
Next day I was tempted to delay the 60min steady run – late nights and morning runs still don’t mix well – but eventually I got out after midday, reasoning (correctly) that I’d be even less inclined to run after last night’s wedding gig in Elgin. However, my procrastination meant the cool haar had dispersed, leaving the day hot and sultry. At the end of the run, which turned into a run/walk halfway through, I was able to wring out my shirt. Not nice.
The plan had another run scheduled today; that’s been dropped, and I’ll have Monday off too, making it a four-run week, ending with 16 miles on Tuesday (rather than 18). Week 11 will be a four-run week as well. It’s all very complicated, but the bottom line is that training is still more or less on track and my feet and legs in acceptable condition.
That’s a relief, because The Big Day is a mere seven weeks away. To mark the milestone, the organisers have revealed this year’s finishers’ shirt: a great colour but another disappointing design. I was spoiled by my first one in 2018. No news yet on the 2022 medal. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a good one to complete my London quintet and probably my London Marathon career – I can’t keep depriving unlucky ballot entrants of their places.
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