Blimey and crikey. Today's run was more an attempt to get back on track with the adding-a-mile-a-week build-up training plan than one I actually expected to go well or deliver a particularly great experience. So in actual fact, it has served its purpose. It was still surprisingly hard on the legs (although, surprisingly, no trouble for the lungs at all). I think what it really proved to me was how much of this marathon running thing is mental rather than physical. Which really does beg the question, given my history, how the hell I have managed to complete not just 1 but 3 of these bitches in the past!!! About a mile into today's session, I was already questioning whether I'd finish it.
I have noticed during the longer sessions over the past couple of weeks that my body seems to go through a kind of 'reset' process a certain distance in. It's as if, once it's realised I'm not stopping, it pulls itself together and delivers me some previously unfound knee lift and great big bucketful of lung capacity. Last weekend, this happened about 3 miles into the 5 mile session. Today it kicked in around 2 miles. This may come as a surprise to anyone who saw me during today's training, as I'm fairly certain I wasn't striding out all that impressively. I set out a deliberately conservative pace to make sure I got round without stopping or walking today, and I think my technique changes at lower speeds rather than my stride length or turnover speed.
The first 4 miles passed without any great pain once I'd got over the doubt. It was quite busy down on the prom today, with lots of people out enjoying a crisp, clear day and lots of smiling and waving as I passed. Then, when I turned round to come home, there suddenly appeared this horrendous headwind, which I am 100,000,000% sure did not exist as a helpful backwind on the way out. Miles 5, 6 and half of mile 7 where spent head down, struggling to make any progress against (hyperbole alert) the most sever hurricane to have hit the South coast in many a long year. Honestly, it was really difficult and I'm sure is the main factor behind the stark contrast in pace between the outward and return legs of this run.
The main thing is that I've now done it. I might attempt 10 miles rather than 9 next weekend, to continue running at the harder end of the programme I'm following, but having added 3 to last week's long run today, I think I'll be able to avoid any more of these self-doubt episodes. I'm definitely 'getting back into' this whole running thing now. I'm entering the part of the programme where there a lot of weeks that require 5 sessions. One of these is next week, with a session in the plan for tomorrow. I'm really not sure about the wisdom of this, or any Monday sessions. I'll set the alarm and see what happens in the morning - I may swap the run (20 minute threshold thing) for my induction into Zumba or something if my legs are still feeling sorry for themselves.
Updated Training Plan
Well done Lee - enjoying the blogs xx
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