Week Fifteen - ONE WEEK TO GO

IT'S NEXT WEEK! 

IT'S NEXT WEEK! 

IT'S NEXT WEEK! 

After fifteen weeks of the training programme, 45 runs and 349 miles... the London Marathon is next freaking week.

That sentence is simultaneously a huge relief and absolutely terrifying. I feel like I am as ready as I am ever going to be, but it is still 26.2 miles and that's a really long way.  

The next week is mostly about not doing anything silly (bend with your knees, not with your back...), drinking lots and eating as well as I can. I've heard a rumour that sweet potatoes are basically the best thing to eat in the week pre-marathon soooo... I'm just going to try and eat loads of them.

One of the most important days of the whole fundraising campaign is the CAKE SALE at work on Wednesday. I hope this will raise some more money and provide an always welcome sugar boost to D90 inhabitants.

As always, the sponsorship continues to amaze me and tick upwards. Thank you to everyone so, so much - I'm not sure I would have been able to get this far without you all. If anyone else does want to sponsor me as we head in to the final week, the page can be reached here - thank you!

Run #43 - Wednesday 12th April

Loadsa rain, loadsa wind = loadsa FUN. I jest. It was pretty shit, but was all about ticking off the fifth-last run and continuing the tapering. Very steady four miles than an 8.33 came out of nowhere for the last mile which is nice. 

Ordered some new underlayer shorts as it has dawned on me that my current ones have no where to put the gel packs. And unless I'm keen to risk some serious chaffage (I most certainly am not), I need to get one with pockets.

Run #44 - Friday 14th April

For the first time in many a moon, I have put the leggings in the cupboard and unleashed my legs to the world. Would you just look at them. Sensational. I do feel the cold quite easily, but the leggings have also served as a bit of psychological support for the knees. But I really don't want to run the actual day in them for fears of overheating and not looking cool... so shorts are back!

Whether it was the tapering effect kicking in or the new found freedom of my legs I don't know, but this was the freshest run I've had in a very long time. So much so that the average pace was back at 8.32 and the fifth mile was an 8.12. 

Wheels. 

Run #45 - Sunday 16th April

The last run longer than 30 minutes in the tank with a nice seven miles this morning. I am now definitely sure it is the tapering effect that is responsible for my legs feeling fresher. 

An average pace of 8.23, with the last three miles being 8.12, 8.10 and 8.00.

For context, the same distance took me the best part of four minutes longer on ten days ago with an average pace of 8.50!

So good on the tapering people, it has made a difference. 

I have two runs left before the Marathon with three miles or so on Tuesday and Thursday. Then it is off to London on Friday evening before picking up the race number and associated garb on Saturday, and assembling the support crew for some carb-heavy meal on Saturday evening!

I'm aware these write ups haven't been all that interesting for a few weeks now, for one there has been no silly videos(!) but I'm thinking about doing some sort of video diary in London for the weekend if I can think of enough worthwhile #content... it is important that the running blog of the year goes out with a bang!

Cheers.