Training time

Training plan found to suit my day to day activities. Time to get in the routine of running before work, getting some long runs done on Sundays and also keep at it the plan. I do have an issue with keeping myself motivated. 

I I set up my plan via the My Asics app and armed with a 41 week training plan I was ready to hit the road. I knew the goal time on my training plan would not be met on my first marathon, as I do have a bit of trouble motivating myelf. 

And this is where I suprised myself. Once I had got past the baseline training and started to building up the distance on my long runs I was started to enjoy the training. With some races thrown in to keep myself focused on training I was collecting some medals along the way.

As training progressed and at the end of 2018, I got struck down with tonsilitus. A week and a half of no training, not even a parkrun to get me out but the rest done me good. A couple of weeks into January, and the tonsilitus flared up again, but only for a week and I was starting to get stressed.

Long runs started to be planned around trips into London. I would head out early for my long run on a Sunday morning and Kirsty would meet me in London for lunch and then we would head off for an adventure around the sights! It was breaking up my long runs and keeping them interesting. I think if I had just concentrated on doing multiple laps of Richmond Park or Bushy Park I would have got bored quickly of this training malarkey. 

Coming into the final weeks, I was feeling good. I managed to smash my parkrun PB by 30 seconds at Victoria Dock parkrun, a new 10km PB at the Easter 10km in Victoria Park and was only 1 minute away from my half marathon PB during terrible weather conditions at the Kempton Park Half Marathon. I also completed in my first 10 mile race at the Fullers Thames Towpath Ten mile race, and also had my first taste of a 16 mile Kingston Breakfast Run and I enjoyed them all.

And finally, my first experience of marathon tapering. I tried to keep out of the way, kept it simplet and even got my road bike out to stop me running. Did all this work? Only race day would tell...