Last year I ran my personal best at the Berlin Marathon (blog post here). This year I am doing it again, but this time I am going ‘ALL IN’. I really enjoy different types of running – Fell, Track, Trail, Cross Country, Road, OCR etc. I believe that mixing it up keeps me youthful, robust and motivated. Last year in the Snowdon Race (blog post here), I was picked to run for Wales. I wanted to do well for the team and trained hard for it. The downhill is pretty brutal and it took a few weeks before my thighs came back to me. It impinged into my Berlin Marathon build up abit.
I reckon I could be a great Obstacle Course Runner. I won my first OCR race by 3min, beating some very good guys. The OCR World Championships are being held in October, London, this year. I would love to go. But would have to qualify in a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder. Those are not easy and often cause a few sleepless nights, due to the pain of cuts, bruises and stings.
So it is ALL off the table. For the next few months, every run, every race, is focused on Berlin Marathon. If it is doesn’t specifically help me prepare for Berlin Marathon, it is not happening.
Turning up to the Felinheli 10km on Wednesday night, I am feeling tired and flat. I have just started my 100 mile weeks and it is biting already! Also, a full day working out in the sun just gives me this kinda groggy, heavy feeling in my muscles.
I start my warm up, feeling bluhhh, when I hear some bloke tell his missus, “that’s the guy who is going to win”. BOOST! Love hearing that stuff, gives me such a lift. Suddenly feel much better. When I finish my warm up I get changed into race gear in my van. My shorts have lost their draw cord, it has fallen inside the waist band. I have to pull the whole cord out, attach a safety pin, and carefully pull it back through. It is slow and infuriating work. I wonder what that guy would think if he saw me now, sitting in a white van, sweat rolling off me, naked from the waist down, doing needlework. Classy.
The Felinheli 10km is part of the town festival. There a hundreds of people sitting in the beautiful dock. The tones of a brass band drift through the hot evening air, while people eat cheese with wine, and ice cream. Great atmosphere and I am happy to get the win, even though I took a long cut (a short cut, only longer). A nice way to start my Berlin Marathon buildup, as this is the first time I have won.
Training for a marathon means a lot more miles. There is no… ‘hmm, do I feel like running today?’ It is more… ‘I am running today, twice, whether I like it or not’. Getting up early and coming home late means I don’t see my kids as much. I am finding that hard. I seem to find it harder every time. I’m sure I will get used to it, but why would I want to get used to it?! I don’t know how pro athletes go away on training camps without their kids for months on end. I heard that in Wimbledon last week, Serena Williams was out on court when her child, Olympia, walked for the first time. Serena cried. I would have bawled my eyes out.
Non-running related highlight of the week
Got so many lovely comments about my last blog post (link here), either in person or online, thanks so much everyone, means a lot!
Also, I try to sing my 2 year old to sleep on Thursday night, instead she strokes my arm as I fall asleep on her lap.
Best thing on the internet this week:
Never forget your “WHY”
This podcast with 2018 Boston Marathon champ, Des Linden.
https://findingmastery.net/des-linden/
Thing I’m digging this week:
The UK heatwave. Love love love it. Love running in the sun. Love feeling the sun on my back. It can force you to move slower, and it can make sleeping harder, but Snowdonia is the most beautiful place in the world when it is like this, everywhere is a holiday.
| 2/7/2018 | AM | PM |
| Monday | 9 @ 7.50 min miling | 5 @ 6min miling |
| Tuesday | 9 @ 7.30min miling | 5x200m (200m jog in 1min) in 31 sec. 4 miles total |
| Wednesday | REST | Felinheli 10km – 1st 34.24. 11 miles total |
| v. wired after race, can’t sleep till 12am | ||
| Thursday | REST | 9 |
| very tired pm. Try to put my little girl to bed, fall asleep before she does | ||
| Friday | 9 | 4tm @ 6min miling |
| Saturday | parkrun – 17.24. 4xmile (30 sec rest) in 5.11. 15 miles total | 5 @ 8.45 miling |
| hit the wall on last mile. Skipped breakfast and lots of sweating. Happy with it tho | ||
| Sunday | 15 @ 6min miling | 4 @ 8.55 miling |
| started to feel it at mile 9, had a long 6 miles to hang on! | ||
| TOTAL: | 100 miles | tm = treadmill |
I was wondering how many hours of sleep you get a night and if you get less and or more sleep does that effect your training over the next few days ?
Heya William, I try and get to bed at 9pm to be up by 6am, so 9hrs, but I normally don’t manage it. Wanna spend time with the missus when kids go down. So more like 7.5-8hrs on average. Yeah I feel it in morning run if I haven’t had enough. Try and get 1hr nap on a Sunday! Thanks for comment!
Russell is that photo real and if so is it one of Tony’s?
Great blog post. I would have to say the best part was the visual image of you entirely naked dripping with sweat in the back of your van!