Countdown – 9 weeks to go!
‘One of the most challenging and picturesque races on the circuit’ is how the programme decirbed the Tunbridge Wells 1/2 Marathon. The first bit I can now verify. Hilly. Very Hilly! As for the scenery, speaking personally the only things I usually see are the backs and bobbing heads of the runners in front of me. And whilst it is true that the run did go through some lovely Kent villages, the furthest thing from my mind was local flora, fauna or architecture! True, the annual 20 miler in Worthing could never be described as pretty and the Arunel 10K definitely goes through some of Sussex’s finest countryside, but for me no amount of ‘picturesque’-ness (if there is such a word) can make up for the ‘challenging’.
But I shouldn’t complain. The training runs around the hills of Goodwood had had the desired effect enabling me to run a personal best for the 13.1 miles of 1hr 49 mins. Considering the conditions (fairly cold) and hills I was really pleased with the result and with how I felt afterwards. So as far as preparing for the marathon is concerned, the first staging post was a good one.
Half term then gave some time for further training, mainly intervals and gym work, with another long run today of about 2 hours. I forgot to take my Lucozade drink bottle with me though, which meant that not only was I beginning to dehydrate after an hour but that I wasn’t taking in any more carbohydrate to fuel me for the rest of the run. Hence I took the decision to cut my intended run down by half an hour. Although it was interesting to experience how the body responds without this essential refuelling during a long run, it is not a mistake that I hope to make again.
So the next staging post is the Silverstone 1/2 Marathon in 3 weeks time, followed by a 21 miler in Cranleigh 2 weeks later. Then it is the Kingston 16 mile ‘breakfast run’ which kicks of 3 weeks of ‘tapering’. 9 weeks to go. Lighter nights ahead. Fingers crossed!
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