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.

Guess The Time, Time

by Russell Turner - 21:39 on 28 August 2022

Five weeks to the London Marathon (and seven to Yorkshire) and training is going well (touch wood). My second long run wobble, when Week 10’s 16-miler was downgraded to 13, was rectified last Wednesday when Week 11’s 13-miler was upgraded to 16. I could have done more, but was pleased not to have to.

The pace, however, was much slower than in the build-up to both 2020’s virtual PB triumph and 2021’s Covid-scuppered Loch Ness Marathon. I put that down to injury and lost training early this year. This week, London Marathoneers were asked for their predicted finish time, so we can be put in our correct start pens. I grudgingly downgraded my sub-4:30 target but remained optimistic with 4:50, although I’d be happy with 4:59.

I should be happy with anything over 5:29, because that’s my fastest non-virtual marathon, but I really want to finish a race with a 4:xx time and surrounded by many more runners than totter over the line in around 6:30, which was the result of my two previous Londons. For both, I gave an estimated time of 6:30, having only modest belief – justifiably, as it turned out – in my sporting prowess. Let’s hope this year’s estimate proves just as accurate.

Week 12 has gone smoothly so far, today’s mixed session of tempo and intervals proving unexpectedly speedy, despite the heat, but the real test comes on Wednesday when the long run reaches 18 miles. The weather forecast is mild with a light breeze; I’m optimistic.

The only fly in the ointment is the next Chatterbox, which has to be distributed sometime next week, depending when I finish it, and two weekend wedding gigs, one of them in Cullen on Friday which will involve a midnight finish, half-hour pack-up and two-hour return trip. The following night we’re in Kincraig, a mere one-hour trip.

So my training schedule has been rearranged again. Good job I’m flexible.

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