Last Sunday marked 6 months to go until 21st April 2013. As the clocks have gone backward, and the weather is getting grim, I've started to realise that maintaining motivation during the long dark winter is going to be tough.
So even if nobody reads it, I'm starting a marathon blog to I can keep track of my training, share a bit of my pain (and gain!!) and hopefully give it all a bit of meaning.
Although I've been running regularly for nearly four years, and have done three half marathons now, it's been a year since my last one. My recent study commitments mean that over the last year I haven't had time to run as often I did when training for those half maras, although I'm confident that at my current fitness level I could easily run over 15k (I'm sure I'd feel it the next day though...!).
My main focus over the 8 weeks before Christmas is to get my body used to exercising at least 5 days a week, a step up from about 3 days a week currently. Then in the New Year the full on training with long distance increases can commence. I've got my program from Shelter that I'll be aiming to follow in general, with a few adjustments here and there depending on how it feels.
This week I've really started to try to step up the training and make it a planned focus rather than fitting it in where it's easy to. The hardest part is getting out of bed in the morning!!!
Training Report
Saturday 27th October
1 hour Pilates class (first one in ages and my core felt it on Monday)
8km run around Tooting Common (2 degrees and howling wind, I need running gloves!!!)
Monday 29th October
8km run home from work (in the pouring rain and fully dark now we're on winter time)
Tuesday 30th October
5km intervals around Wandsworth Common (using Dan's 3 min interval circuit)
Wednesday 31st October
10 mins on the elliptical at the gym followed by 45 minutes in my first Spin class. Not as hard as I expected although I'm a bit unco on the bike. Not sure if it will be my ideal cross training but will try a few more classes before I decide.
Coming up next
Thursday 1st November
Rest
Friday 2nd November
8km run home from work
Saturday 3rd November
1 hour Pilates class
11-12km run around Tooting and Clapham Commons
Can't imagine training in those conditions. I am really disapointed that I did not get you some cute running gloves that I saw in NZ!! Dont increase load too quickly!
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