Training day 80 - 5.25 miles

A big breakthrough today. Did my hilly 5.25 mile course in an average pace of 7min 58sec per mile which is the fastest average pace ive managed in my training. I really felt that i could sustain my pace even going up the killer hill (twice) which is part of this route. Infact the second time round the route i managed that really hilly mile in 8.24 which was only 26 secs slower than my overall average pace

Really couldnt ask for more at this point in my training. No aches. No pains and thing going well. Tomorrow is some speed work

Training day 79 - 14 miles

As per my training schedule today was a 14 mile run. I set off at an 8.45 per mile pace as i was wanting to conserve my energy but i gradually started creeping above that and at the end of my run had comPleted it in 8.19 pace. I just felt good and did not feel as if i was running fast or particularly pushing myself. 14 miles in a shade over 1hr 56. When you consider that last week 13 miles took me 2 hrs almost exactly it just shows the difference in pace. I felt really good at the end too although the last three quartes of a mile were sore. This run also included my second fastest half marathon time of 1hr 48min 35 secs. My fastest official half is 1hr 47 min 37 so that really puts this time in perspective and that time was after 3 months of a marathon scedule and this was only the end of week 4!!

With only 4 months to go i am bang on target and still no pains. I am supposed to be doing 5 miles tomorrow but ill be too busy so its an extra rest day!!

Training Day 78 - 10k

After Thursdays exurtions and getting caught in the rain and the snow i had a rest day yesterday and was back into it today. Was night shift last night got to bed at 5 and then was up at 9 to take son to his football. Then was out to do a 10K. My schedule said easy run but it was anything but that. No sleep and running really do not mix. All the way round the run my leg felt like total lead. I am sitting here writing this and feel pretty good it was just really heavy legs. Tomorrow is a big 14 miles so i better get a kip tonight

Training day 77 - 7.25miles

Was gonn give myself a rest day today and go out tomorrow but changed my mind. Decided to go round my 8 mile route which includes the 1:13 hill which is a killer. Not done this route in a long time. Managed to get past that really steep bit and felt pretty good for the run. Turns out its not 8 miles but 7.25. My schedule said a steady 5 miles today but i felt inspired. Again no aches or pains woohoo. Touch wood things are still going along nicely!

Training day 76 - 10k

My schedule said that today was an 'easy 5 miles'. I dont have a handy 5 mile route other than going round my short 2.7 mile route twice so i just did my hilly 10k route. To make things interesting i decided to set myself a time limit of 52mins to comPlete it. I had a problem straight from the off in that the wind was pretty gusty and seemed mostly to be in my face. To achieve my goal i had to keep an average pace of 8.20 or there abouts. I was going along fine but when it came to the long up hil between miles 2 & 4 thats when the wind was right in my face and at my 4 mile time check i was way. Ehind schedule at 8.42 pace!!

Over the next 2.25 miles i really tried to push it and finished in 52.24. Just missing out but had really upped my pace and even did a new PB for a mile during a run of 7.15!! So not all was lost. I reckon without the wind i might have beat 51mins. My ultimate goal id to break 50 mins for my hilly 10k which would be a real achievement considering going by my Nike app my quickest 10k so far is 50.02 which was on the flat!!

What is encouraging too is no aches or pains!!

Did i mention im also running in new shoes now. I could feel the life had gone out of the other ones so a pair of Nike Dart 2 being used now and are feeling much better. Its a pair i got on holiday specifically to use when the other ones wore out. I have a pair og Asics Gel Asperus on the way which will take over from the Nikes. The reviewed quite well when i checked them out so we will se what happens with them

Day 75 - 5 mile run

Gave mysel a day off after the 12 miler but got back into it last night with a quick 5 miles. Felt really gOod frOm start to finish which is unusual because i hate speed work. Still at the end of the 5 miles i was timed at 40mins 24secs. About 10 secs of which could be trimmed due tO starting my Nike app and gerting the phone in my pOcket etcso i was really please especially since i increased my pace over the last mile.

Bit on the stiff and soe side today but im putting that down to the fact ive noy really had a long lie this week so the body is starting to get tired and sore

Training day 74 - 12 miles

OMG!!

The wind was a complete nightmare. I was running round Strathclyde park and that meant down one side the wind was practically picking me up and pushing me along but down the other side i was into the teeth of a terrible head wind and on more than one occassion i was running and not even moving!! I finished 12 miles in 1hr 41mins which isnt too bad. I reckon i could take a couple of mins off that due to the wind. No real aches and pains but the little toe on my left foot is in tatters and was bleeding quite badly. I am beginning to realise that all im really doing now is managing injuries. I am defo gettin too old for this. Wht today does mean though is that i have covered 42 miles this week!!! Thats tons. The last time i trained for this i was nowhere near that sort of milage at this stage primarily because i was studying for exams at the same time so was running in my linch break which meant i was doing lots of shortish fast runs with a longer on at the weekend. Hopefully this means my ambition of beating 4hrs is within reach

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Training Day 73 - 10 miles

Weather took a turn for the worst last night so it was 10 miles on the running machine and i felt really good the whole time. Even managed to conquer the boredom of running on a machine. Did it in 80 mins on the nose which was running at what i hope to be my race pace. Too much to do today so never got out for a run but will get out tomorrow

Training day 72 - 7 mile run

Gave myself monday off after that slow painful 13 miler on sunday and was feeling a lot better yesterday. The discomfort in my right hip flexor had gone so out i went. To make things a little more interesting i decided to split my run into 2 halves. The first half i ran the circuit (which is round the road of the place im staying at the moment and is about 1.3k long) in a clockwise direction in as high a pace as i could maintain. At the end of 6k i stopped for 4 mins then ran in an anti clockwise direction for 6k at a more moderate pacE. at the end i felt quite good although my left knee was a little painful. This happened the last time but is just a bit of fluid build up and came with increasing milage and went away after a time so i
Not concerned just now

I am giving myself a rest to ight as with the lack of sleep here my body is just not recovering and i am just sore!! Back into it tomorrow!

Training day 71 - 13 miles

I was feeling good today after last nights run and set out with a good deal of optimism. I started too fast. First mile was completed in under 8 mins and from there in in i tried to maintain a reasonable good pace but by the time i got to 8 i was starting to feel it big style and my pace started to slow considerably. Eventually finishing the 13 miles in 2 hours on the nose which was pretty slow.

It really made me think is it harder this time or am i just pushing the milage sooner. The programme that i usually follow is no longer on line and was more of a slow build up of miles. This programme throws in a big run every week as a challenge. Last week was 12 miles and i could only manage 10. This week was 13 and i succeeded but i felt like death afterwards!! It has taken nearly 2.5 hours for me to feel reasonably normal again!!

Still. Im still on course and am at the half way stage as far as milage goes with still 4.5 full months to go. Barring more injuries (just jinxed it didn't i!?) i think i can do this

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Training day 70 - 6.7 miles

Its amazing what een a semi decent sleep can do for your body. After sleeping or not sleeping as the case was in a strange bed all week i was back in mine last night and todays run was a million times better. The foot was not too bad and i managed to keep up a reasonably good pace and felt pretty good at the end. In fact the last 2 to 2.5 miles felt really good. I never really had any dinner today either. My stomache has been bothering me all week too so i only has a couple of salad sandwiches for dinner so the run was all the more surprising

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Training days 66 - 69

Day 66

10 miles - good grief. 2 days of constant drinking really took its toll. I wAs knackered but managed 10 miles with no ill effects. A course which is residential started on monday. More food. Less sleep

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Day 67

5.5 miles at a pretty good pace and again no ill effects. Am writing this on friday night so commenting on something i did on monday. Food on my course immediately disagreed with me and the toilet has been visited more often than i would have liked



Day 68

Hill sprints. Managed a 2 mile warm up and then 5 x 1 min hill sprint with a jog back to the start. I was gubbed. I am a bad sleeper and the fact i am staying away from home in a different bed really does not help me. Very poor sleep so body is sore and tired plus food still not agreeing with me



Day 69

A 4 mile run when i wAs hoping for 6. Again another extremely bad nights sleep and i am just physically tired. Not only that but my sore left foot has started playing up so i will be giving it a rest over the next 2 days and will get out again on saturday

Training day 65 - 3 miles

A cold again which meant i was in bed for 5pm last night and only gOt up again for work at 6am. SO no run last night. Felt a lot better today so went out tonight but knew straight away i wasnt rIght. I felt as thought i was running with someone elses legs. I kept going for as long as i could but had to stop in the end. Lets see how it goes tomorrow

Training day 64 - 6 x 3mins threshold runs with 60 sec jog between sets

Wind and hail still howling but i still went out there. Yeah me!! Lol

Today was speed / stamina work which i hate. 6 x 3 min runs at threshold pace. Which i took to be at as quick a pace as i could sustain for each 3 min run with a 60sec jog recovery between sets. Runs 1 to 4 were pretty decent but 5 and 6 i was pretty much grinding to a halt but got there and it worked out at exactly 4 miles. Not too bad a little run. But oh no. The left calf has started twitching again

Training day 63 - 8 miles

Thank goodness

The ankle i turned on boxing day was fine so managed my run fine. It was actually the first run in a very long rime where i had no aches or twinges. The wind was pretty strong and there was occassional hail stones and lots if rain but i felt really good and enjoyed myself. Hopefully after all these recent setbacks this is it because the countdown is now well and truely on. May 27th is not that far away!

Happy New Year