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.
A Change Of Plan
by Russell Turner - 11:31 on 22 February 2025
Week 6 of marathon training was the step-back week, with a long run of only 60mins, after which I was to return refreshed and ready for increased effort and miles. It didn’t turn out like that.
The first three runs of Week 7 all went to plan; then I made the mistake of bringing the 14-mile long run forward, to avoid forecast wind and rain, and all went to pot. Whether it was running for a fourth consecutive day, or whether I’d have struggled anyway, I don’t know, but a struggle it was. The early arrival of a chill wind didn’t help, and just over halfway through the planned distance I gave up and returned to The Rural Retreat.
I could say I listened to my body, but more likely was I listened to my head which told me: “This isn’t fun. Why bother?”
Yesterday, two days later, I tried again. The temperature was higher, but so was the wind speed, with added drizzle. I covered almost seven miles with a couple of out-and-backs along a mostly flat, sheltered route, until even an audiobook of Christopher Brookmyre’s “Quite Ugly One Morning” couldn’t compensate for the boredom. I chose a new direction and a new target – 10 miles would be enough.
That reached, I could have gone on but the run (a 4:1 run/walk to be strictly accurate) had become more of a trudge, which I doubted was doing much to improve fitness or mental resilience. To add to my woes, my two longest toes were feeling the effort – something I’ve not suffered for a long time. The marathon distance was becoming an impossible goal.
Maybe I need to include more walking!
Time for a rethink. Today I downgraded my plan from advanced (which has only worked for me for an autumn marathon, albeit five years ago) to intermediate, which requires a mere four runs a week. If I were to be properly serious I’d also include the strength work that’s supposed to be increasingly useful for aging runners. Maybe, one day.
The two half marathons I’ve signed up for next month will be the real indicator of how well I’m doing. I’m optimistic that events where I’m surrounded by other runners will be easier than the same distance run solo. Spring can’t be far away, which will help too.
Or maybe I’m cursed by the Edinburgh Marathon. My first attempt, in 2021, was hit by lockdown, and training for the virtual replacement was abandoned after 12 weeks (although I did get my HM PB the week before, so not all bad). The second attempt, a year later, was made despite very inadequate training because of injury and went unsurprisingly badly.
I’ll hope that it’s third time lucky and I can finish smiling, whatever the time. We’ll see.
PS: No cats this time. Maybe they’ll perk up too when the weather improves.
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