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 :-)
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Sunday, 2 May 2010
The training begins
Welcome to my London 2012 training blog. Sounds impressive huh? Well London Marathon 2012 and not Olympics but we don't need to tell anyone that do we?
I first entered the London Marathon in 2006, so I am not exactly a novice to the training etc. But what has happened over the past 4 years since is that I seem to have gained a serious amount of weight and lost completely every ounce of fitness I gained during that training.
A little background then?
I joined the local running club in October 2004 in their beginner group. Could only make one session a week so didn't improve greatly, but ended up running the target race at the end of the 6 months and finishing in the penultimate position beating only an 80 year old man and the ambulance to the finish. From here the only way was faster, so I started training more regularly and at the time happened to start working for a local charity. When the chance to run the London Marathon in 2006 with a charity place came up I was unsure of my fitness, but decided to go for it.
Training was tough, no-one ran at my speed (very slow) so I ended up doing most of my training on my own and that believe me requires some serious mental strength.
But, I achieved my goal and completed the Marathon in 5.44.24 (important to have the seconds)
After that I seemed to get better and better, my race times improved, my stamina increased, I was entering races most weekends and achieving PBs all the time, then the inevitable happened. Injury struck, followed by lethargy and weight gain and more injury with lack of recovery and finally a reluctance to both train and race.
For some strange reason I still kept entering for the Marathon ballot and every year heaved a sigh of relief when the rejection slip arrived. The rule was 5 rejections in a row and you had a place as of right, well why not go for it then.
I kept turning up for training and found myself struggling with every step, but still went and tried, week in week out, sometimes demoralised and sometimes spurred on by others trying to keep my spirits high and praising me for the persistence. I started helping out with beginners, where I felt most comfortable, after all I might actually be faster than some of them. I started building myself back up, only to head off on holiday for a couple of weeks and return once again as a beginner (So how does that work then exactly?)
3 years of beginner groups later and motivation for others pouring out of me at every turn, I continued to put my entry in for each London Marathon ballot.
Suddenly the rules are changing, the 5 year rule is being taken away (too many people being rejected could mean a collosal race in one year with no real entrants other than all the rejected particpants - I personally don't see the problem, but I guess it does not lend itself to goodwill for the race)
Anyhoooooo, I received an email to say I had a priority entry available to get into the 2011 ballot. Oooer I thought, this means I don't have to sit at the computer all day when the public ballot opens, trying hard to get into the ballot proper (a ballot before the ballot) so now my dilemma starts. Decisions need to be made, or rather training plans need to be written and adhered to. As a result of the priority entry I shall be running the marathon at some point in the future, and I have decided that 2012 sounds good to me, gives me 2 years to prepare.
How do I know it will be 2012?
If I get rejected in the 2011 ballot, I then have 5 rejections, so 2012 will be my "in as of right" race. If I get accepted to the 2011 ballot, then I need to assess my training, but can at least then defer the place to 2012. So hence I am running the 2012 London marathon.
Phew all that to explain.
So anyway I am at least 3 stone over the weight I'd like to be to run, I am also currently struggling to string 2 minutes running together at a time, so the game is on.
First planning is a combination of health and fitness targets and goals. I need to get SMART and I need to start now, after all 2 years is not a long time in the grand scheme of things.
Join me as I progress along the way.
I first entered the London Marathon in 2006, so I am not exactly a novice to the training etc. But what has happened over the past 4 years since is that I seem to have gained a serious amount of weight and lost completely every ounce of fitness I gained during that training.
A little background then?
I joined the local running club in October 2004 in their beginner group. Could only make one session a week so didn't improve greatly, but ended up running the target race at the end of the 6 months and finishing in the penultimate position beating only an 80 year old man and the ambulance to the finish. From here the only way was faster, so I started training more regularly and at the time happened to start working for a local charity. When the chance to run the London Marathon in 2006 with a charity place came up I was unsure of my fitness, but decided to go for it.
Training was tough, no-one ran at my speed (very slow) so I ended up doing most of my training on my own and that believe me requires some serious mental strength.
But, I achieved my goal and completed the Marathon in 5.44.24 (important to have the seconds)
After that I seemed to get better and better, my race times improved, my stamina increased, I was entering races most weekends and achieving PBs all the time, then the inevitable happened. Injury struck, followed by lethargy and weight gain and more injury with lack of recovery and finally a reluctance to both train and race.
For some strange reason I still kept entering for the Marathon ballot and every year heaved a sigh of relief when the rejection slip arrived. The rule was 5 rejections in a row and you had a place as of right, well why not go for it then.
I kept turning up for training and found myself struggling with every step, but still went and tried, week in week out, sometimes demoralised and sometimes spurred on by others trying to keep my spirits high and praising me for the persistence. I started helping out with beginners, where I felt most comfortable, after all I might actually be faster than some of them. I started building myself back up, only to head off on holiday for a couple of weeks and return once again as a beginner (So how does that work then exactly?)
3 years of beginner groups later and motivation for others pouring out of me at every turn, I continued to put my entry in for each London Marathon ballot.
Suddenly the rules are changing, the 5 year rule is being taken away (too many people being rejected could mean a collosal race in one year with no real entrants other than all the rejected particpants - I personally don't see the problem, but I guess it does not lend itself to goodwill for the race)
Anyhoooooo, I received an email to say I had a priority entry available to get into the 2011 ballot. Oooer I thought, this means I don't have to sit at the computer all day when the public ballot opens, trying hard to get into the ballot proper (a ballot before the ballot) so now my dilemma starts. Decisions need to be made, or rather training plans need to be written and adhered to. As a result of the priority entry I shall be running the marathon at some point in the future, and I have decided that 2012 sounds good to me, gives me 2 years to prepare.
How do I know it will be 2012?
If I get rejected in the 2011 ballot, I then have 5 rejections, so 2012 will be my "in as of right" race. If I get accepted to the 2011 ballot, then I need to assess my training, but can at least then defer the place to 2012. So hence I am running the 2012 London marathon.
Phew all that to explain.
So anyway I am at least 3 stone over the weight I'd like to be to run, I am also currently struggling to string 2 minutes running together at a time, so the game is on.
First planning is a combination of health and fitness targets and goals. I need to get SMART and I need to start now, after all 2 years is not a long time in the grand scheme of things.
Join me as I progress along the way.
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