Marathon Training 2008

It started with a rejection in the ballot last November before being revived with a club entry. Suddenly, the London Marathon dream was alive again. 16 weeks and 523 miles later here I am in mid-taper denying myself a coffee in preparation for the big day.

For the most part, training has gone pretty well. It started perfectly following a detailed plan, completing just about every session and at the stipulated pace. However, as the long runs got longer maintaining the pace got harder and harder. It almost all came apart during my first planned 20 miler in late February. After spending a Friday at work lugging IT equipment around in an unnecessary office move my Sunday run came to a grinding halt on the Whitley Bay sea front. My back and hip-flexor would go no further and I stopped a mile from the end before trudging disconsolately home. In pain and pretty depressed I wondered if this was to be the end of the road for this year.

I prescribed myself a week of total rest, ibuprofen, ice, stretching and Geri Halliwell's Body Yoga video. After 7 days I felt recovered enough to gingerly step out on the road again. A couple of gentle lunchtime runs on Monday and Tuesday felt promising. Then 13.35 miles at 7:21 min/mile pace on Thursday was enough to convince me that the injury was manageable if not quite fully recovered.

I finally knocked off my first 20 mile run of the year on the Sunday in 2:29:50 (7:30 pace). Despite having to stop a few times to stretch my hamstrings and back I felt pretty good up until the final mile. 8 days later and I took a circuitous route home from work completing 22 miles in 2:45:22. I averaged 7:31 per mile but importantly had been able to pick up the pace in the last 4 miles to around 7:20 per mile. It was just the confidence boost I needed and from then on nothing was going to distract me from my 3:15 target at the London Marathon.

Its been a gentle taper since that Monday in mid-March, including an unofficial sub-40 10k at the North Tyneside 10k. The back problem still hasn't completely gone away but I'm hopeful it won't affect me greatly. Running takes a back seat in the final week with the mind and body taking over. Mental preparation and nutrition are the key tasks right now .. easier said than done when you're home all week looking after a 5 year-old and her 3 year-old brother.