End of Week 4!!!

One page down…..

So this is 4 weeks worth of my training programme for Milton Keynes …. It is one page out of 4.5!

As i crossed off that 12 miler – last square at the end I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the sense if achievement – and then I looked at the other 3.5 pages I have still to get through! But that’s what I do it for …. The feeling I get when I have achieved so much … With the drive to continue in what is still to come!!

So week 4!!!

This week was an “easy” week! My programme was developed for me by a very good friend and my instruction for this week was … “only run the runs … Do no more” YES!!!! I get an extra days rest and BOY DID I LOVE IT!!

So Monday … recovery run!! 3.5 miles done at a nice easy 11:00 minutes per mile! As I set out thinking “how i love an easy run” this thought quickly changed to …. “Recovery runs are the hardest of the week”. Legs like lead!!

Tuesday speed training with my running club! It was PAINFULL! We did 1km laps! Up to 1km back for 1km – so I did 4 in total! When added onto the warm up and cool down it turned out around 4 miles at an average pace of 8:55! Which I was pretty happy with as my legs still felt heavy!

Wednesday .. REST REST REST! Although I did cheat a little bit from my orders and did some strength and core! Squat! squat! squat!

Thursday …. club night! Our normal 10km route and I planned to take it easy at a nice 10:00 min/mile! Well I got chatting checked the Garmin which displayed at nice 9:10! We finished in 9:30 average and I felt super pleased …. Proof I’m getting quicker!

Friday ….. Rest .. And Rest I did!

Saturday …. Oxford parkrun … My current nemesis! BUT I DID IT! It wasn’t a PB but I got it back under 29 minutes … At a nice …. 28:59! Ha ha! Considering the conditions are still mud bath central I was happy!

Pleased to say these are the old trainers … I couldn’t bare putting the new ones through it!

And finally …. Sunday … Long run day! All hyped up ready for 12 miles! Started off myself doing 2 miles before meeting the girls and doing 8 followed by 2 home! And in true English style at the minute … It was raining! Not just a drizzle … TORRENTIAL RAIN … And wind! My face was screwed up and I looked awful but the truth is …. I loved it! I couldn’t help run with my shoulders back and chest out with pride …. Knowing that even though the conditions were awful …. I was out there doing it! And all completed in a 10:20 average pace!

If I keep that pace up over training …. I am going to smash this 4 hour 30 minutes!!

Summary… I am loving training for this marathon! I feel like I have 1 under my belt so I know I can do the distance and I know the pain and emotion to come! I just feel like I am taking it in my stride and the miles will come! I feel relaxed about the whole thing!

Remind me if this is March/April – when it really kicks in!!

Happy running all!!