start as you mean to go on

So I get a priority entry, this means that I WILL HAVE TO RUN the marathon at some future point, (oh rats, I sometimes hate being so determined) and I realise that it also means no more excuses, I need to crack on and get fit and healthy.
How hard can it be?
Day 1 - enter via priority email into the ballot - now sit back and wait until October for the outcome.
Day 2 - head to a local race, to watch of course, can't have too much effort on the first day of training
Day 3 - well it was the Thursday before the 2010 marathon so the running club held a pasta party, time to start carb loading then.

So far so good

Day 4 - try a forest run with the club, come down heavy on previously injured foot and hobble for most of the 3 1/2 miles in agony.
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - watch the 2010 London Marathon practically for the whole day either on TV or via internet, while trying to follow each and every club member running. Not sure if I got more exhausted doing this or walking round London last year trying to spot runners.
Day 7 - head out for a race recce and manage to achieve just about 2 mins run with a lot of recoveries (thats several lots of 2 mins not just the one)

Summary
First weeks training hasn't gone too bad :-)

So into week 2

I have thought long and hard about how to approach the training and I do need to get the energy side sorted, so really need to think about the diet and how that's going to work. 3 stone (maybe 4 if I could get there) weight loss in 2 years is certainly achievable, but in the main means having to discard most of my beloved eating habits to help me on the way. Well... too much too soon won't be good so we'll have to start slowly. Planning definitely required.
While thinking about this my training is still under wraps. As a coach I attend the club sessions on a regular basis, I'm just not necessarily that good at it, so time to get cracking.

Friday saw the schedule advertising some triathlon training (as a club we are holding a club only trithlon in July so for the next few months the last Friday is dedicated to training for it) As my swimming and cycling are far worse than my running I opted for the alternative run.
One group (ONE GROUP!!!!) of fast and slow runners heading out for a run. This does not bode well. By now I have mentioned to anyone that will listen, that I am doing THE MARATHON in 2012, so to not go running would seem a bit contradictory.
Off we set.

My usual place is at the back...so no change there then. My normal method of running, jog a little for about 1 1/2 mins to 2 mins then walk while the heavy breathing settles down so I am no longer sounding like a steam train puffing along, repeat this process several times, until breathing is beaten into submission and the lungs start to work properly, then challenge the legs to keep going.
Strategy therefore, 2 min intervals as a minimum, I can do that and my run sections are then a little quicker. So off we go, hey what's this we start on an incline and not in the direction I like....UP!!! Losing some of the faster runners after the first 800 metres (they turned left, we all turned right) I knew then I was at least not last (for the moment).

Being supported by everyone including those who were shouting "Come on London 2012 isn't that far away", and other useful motivational tips I managed to get to the halfway point of the run in reasonable time (well I clocked 40 mins for 5k - which I knew gave me a base to work with)

We split the group..Hurrah!! The faster runners were off to do an extra 3 mile loop and we slower ones were heading back to base. I in my wisdom, set a challenge to the faster ones to try and catch me before we got back. Race on. I knew it would be close.

My run/walk strategy seemed to work, a nice long downhill stretch suddenly helped me find both my legs comfortable pace and a decent speed.
The race for home was on. No sight of the faster ones yet, I slowed to support another runner who was now struggling. I looked around, oh dear, the first fast ones were closing down. Ooops time to sort that sprint finish.

We started increasing our speed to make it back to the finish, faster ones closing um....fast.

Through the gate, a glance behind, here they come....NO WAY JOSE. I put on my best sprint finish to go the final 150 metres and managed to keep them at bay. hurrah!!!
So 150 meters is fine, only 26 more miles to train for then :-)