Week One Training

Well the first weeks training is done. I have to say I now feel a lot better about things than I did when I started and motivated again. Those first runs truly are awful!

The weeks schedule was:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: 20mins jog
Wednesday: Rest Day
Thursday: 20 mins jog
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 20 mins jog
Sunday: 5 mile run

This was the route for Sunday which is fairy hilly:



I managed this in 54min 03 sec which is about 11 minute miles - very slow for all you seasoned runners out there! - but I felt comfortable and I could have gone further. I tried to keep my heart rate down to keep stamina.

Hopefully next week I will start to find things easier and also highlighted the need for me to lose weight. I was close to 15st 7lb at the start of the week and 15st 1lb by the end. I really should be etween 12st 7lb and 13st by race day, so a good motivater to stay off the beer and crisps - especially when you pull on the running top and see that wobble!

Training Starts

According to the training schedule Monday was a rest day. I managed this but missed the first 20 minute run on Tuesday. Wednesday was a rest day, which again I managed (!) and today, Thursday was the first time the running kit went on since Christmas. Oh Dear God! It was a lot tighter than before and I looked like a beetroot after 20 minutes! BUT, writing this now I feel a lot better and that I have done the hardest part, actually starting running again. The next run is Saturday with a 5 mile run on Sunday.
With regards staying overnight I do not really think that it is feasible to arrange this close to 26th April and chatting so some friends who are also running they are going down on the morning so I think I will tag along with them.

Silverstone Half Marathon

OK... since the last post I have been doing a lot of THINKING about training without actually getting off my backside and doing any. I have got as far as taking my gym stuff into work but I do really need to get myself out and running. At least I'm starting to feel like I want to do it rather than loathing the fact!
I ooked at booking a hotel for the night before the marathon in Greenwich - an absolute joke - I'm obviousy FAR to late for this so I wil have to revise my plans. I don't really want to travel down on the day.
One positive thing I have done is registered for the Silverstone Half-Marathon in March - this is about five weeks before London so will be a decent run out at that stage. So, the schedue is all planned, it's down to lardy arse to get off his backside and start doing something!

It begins...

Well, I, along with thousands of people have been accepted into the 2009 Flora London Marathon. I applied back in August and heard I had a place in October. Race Day in on April 26th this year, 15 short weeks away. So, the question is... why?

I had always wanted to run the London Marathon - an ambition that I achieved in 1998. Since then many, many things have happened but two of the most significant in relation to this escapade have been 1) my general deteriation in fitness and 2) my mate Roger.

Without boring everyone to tears I used to be a lot more active, fitter and lighter and with work commitments and lifestyle have somewhat let myself 'go'. This saddens me as I know how I can be and look and I want to get that person back. A couple of years ago I came to an agreement with my best mate, Roger, that we would fight off the on-set of middle age and achieve an 'ambition' each year. In 2007 we completed the Three Peaks Challenge together with a great team (climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hrs), in 2008 we ran the Cambridge and Royal Parks 1/2 Marathons and this year we have hit a problem. The aim was to run the London Marathon - together. The problem was that I got accepted and he hasn't, which is gutting for both of us.

So we have decided to carry on regardless, me running London and he has a place in the Paris Marathon. After that we will do something together - probably the 12 Tors in Yorkshire. So, aside from some training I'm on my own on this one!

What concerns me is my drive and focus. Those of you who know me well enough know that I can become somewhat 'targetted' on acheiving things. The problem is that I have already done this race once. I've acheived the ambition and crossed it off my list. So I need a motivation and focus.

It's fair to say that Roger has attained a level of fitness to which I now aspire. He is already talking about Triathlons and other activites which I am in no state to consider - yet. So that is the first driver.

Last time I ran in 5hr, 33minutes. This I want to beat.

The more commitment I make to this the better the chance I have, so I have chosen a special Charity to run for which I will talk about in another post. However, this is a local group so the fundraising means so muuch more. Another driver.

I also don't like to fail in what I set out to do. The more public I can make this then the less likely I am to quit when it hurts.

So... this monsterous preamble brings me to where I am now.

At the start. The beginning. Day 1.

It's Sunday night on 11th Jan. I have opened the London Marathon Magazine and browsed through. I have decided to buy a good pair of trainers and also found and printed off a training schedule. I have made contact with the Charity to get sponsorship moving and also started this Blog to chart my progress.

Why the Blog? I am certainly no niaeve enough to think it will be a help or inspiration to others, but it would be great if it is. It's more to make public what I am doing so that it drives me forwards. Maybe then I can also look back at what I hope to achieve at the end.

So, here's to you Ahab - he's to dark nights, weight loss, stamina, Garmin Footpods and dodgy knees. But most of all, here's too Roger and I hope to God he has to go through all this crap too!