The Final Countdown!

De duh der der
De duh de de der
De duh der der
De duh de der der der der!

Etc.

Crazy, bleached-perm, Euro soft rock classics aside, I am now in my final week and have just been treated to a thorough pasting at the powerful hands (and elbows) of Hannelle, my sports masseuse. Ouch.

Much needed though. My left leg was beyond tight and excruciatingly painful from hip to toe. It's been hammered accordingly and now feels a lot looser and lighter.

Thankfully, my right leg was nowhere near as bad, so the air was only blue for half an hour!

This week, I've got two very gentle four milers to do: one tomorrow and one on Thursday. And the race itself.

This is it! I am ready to take on the London Marathon. This isn't just about participation; it's about competing and completing it as fast as I can.

I'm fitter, faster and stronger than I've ever been, so this is the best chance I've had so far in my life.

I can't wait!

Apologies in advance for the copious updates that will no doubt follow as the week progresses.

We're heading for Venus.

Well...Docklands!

Fifteen!

Penultimate week. Fifteen down, one to go.

Only 29 miles to do this week. No probs. If you've not already run the best part of 600.

A tough week, but I'm tougher!

I can't even remember what we did now - I think it was a four and two seven and a halves during the week.

By far and away the highlight was our gorgeous, crisp Sunday morning ten miler on quiet, hilly pavements. I'm actually really looking forward to doing such runs with no ulterior motive; no incentive but the act of running, itself.

So, the finish is in sight. It's on The Mall and there's a big shiny medal at the end of it!

Week 14!

What better way to end a very tough week than to receive my mind running vest through the post.

And isn't it a bobby dazzler?!

We've both been feeling the cumulative effects of our training schedule this week, so it's been good to get it over with and start tapering.

On reflection, only taking Monday off after Sunday's long run was not enough rest because, by the time Friday was upon us and we'd covered another 21 miles, we were done in!

Needless to say, our planned ten miler on Friday was cut down to five and we then spent our first weekend of 2012 not running!

Rest is as important as running now. It takes four weeks to recover from a 20 mile run and we've done five in the past eight weeks, racking up a grand total of 550 miles since training began.

We've only got 29 miles to cover this week and I've just got a new pair of Vomeros, so I should have an extra spring in my step this week.

Yes, I know I only got some in Feb, but I've done over 400 miles in them since then, so they've lost their cushioning and have been pounded pretty much into submission!

In less than two weeks, I will be on the start line, ready to race.

Excited is an understatement!!!

Toe-tal Wipeout!

My final long run is in the bag. All 22.5 miles of it! BOOM!

It's come at a price though because the little and next-to-little toe toes on my left foot are mashed, to use the medical term.

Whilst out doing my hot and sweaty nine miler on Wednesday evening, it felt like my left little toe was taking a bit of a pounding. This is not unusual, as both my little toes are really crooked, to the extent that they curl underneath their bigger neighbour and tend to get trodden on quite a lot. This has been compounded by my increasingly more forefoot strike.

Anyway, I didn't think much more of it on Tuesday but found myself hobbling a bit as Wednesday progressed.

Upon inspection, I discovered that my little toe had doubled in size owing to a rather impressive blister. Because it was impeding my walking, I decided to drain it and it had been merrily drying out since and causing me no bother, even during my eight mile pingo run - although I did tape it beforehand as a precaution.

Owing to today's distance, I decided that taping was the order of the day, but it became apparent at 12 miles that all was not well. Either the tape had come off or something else was going on because I couldn't strike with my left foot without very sharp pain.

The was no alternative but to stop briefly, remove my shoe and sock, investigate and resolve the issue and get cracking again.

Long story short - I dispensed with the tape and didn't pay too much notice to the state of play down there!

It was only when I took my sock off after getting out of the post-run ice bath that I discovered that my strapping tape had rubbed on the side of my next smallest toe, resulting in another red raw, angry blister!

Despite all of this, the run itself went ok. It was warm again and the monotony of the Greenway wasn't doing much for my motivation levels, but I knew this was an important milestone in the training schedule.

There's an old quote by famous Kiwi runner, Barry Magee, which states:

"Anyone can run 20 miles. It's the next six that count."

Quite right, Barry. Quite right.

The body can do some extraordinary things beyond the twenty mile marker, so it was important to push past it today and feel the associated pain.

And there was pain. Not specific injury-type pain, just general limb-numbing, dragging your lifeless body along, pain!

However, we did it. And that was the objective. Final long run in the bag and now the taper down to the marathon itself begins.

Rest and recovery are now just as important as running - no additional fitness will be gained by putting in unnecessary miles. The past thirteen weeks have been amazing but it'll be nice to let the legs heal and strengthen, knowing that the hard work has been done, the plan has been followed to the letter and I am ready!

Clearly, Guinness is also a vital tool for recovery, so I'm having one tonight. Or two. No work tomorrow - so maybe a couple more?! Cheers!

I'll leave you with a gratuitously unnecessary shot of my manky toes.

Next series of Embarrassing Bodies?!

British Summer Time

What a pleasure it is to run on a mild, sunny spring evening!

After a long day at work and a well deserved night off on Monday, I was flying solo on Tuesday. Sam had gone down to her mam and dad's, so I'd lost my wing-(wo)man!

I'd originally planned to have a couple of nights off and do my long midweek run on Wednesday but, for a number of reasons, including wanting to go out or Wednesday night curry club with friend and neighbour, G-Ram, I changed my mind and went out on Tuesday instead!

For the first four miles, I felt like crap. No rhythm, no pace, nothing!

Fortunately, I settled in and ended up quite enjoying it. Another box ticked.

Wednesday was mad busy at work and I didn't get home until seven, so it was just as well I went out on Tuesday.

A change of destination was the order of the day for Thursday, when I joined Sam down in Norfolk at her folks' gaff.

We decided to pop out for a quick three mile recovery run, before a longer eight mile off-road run round the ancient glacial "pingo" ponds on Friday.

It was really nice to be running somewhere different and speeding round the off-road tracks and trails was really good fun, especially when urban, pavement based, running is the usual order of proceedings.

Now, we've got our feet up, we've had spag bol and garlic bread and lots of water and I'm going to watch MOTD before heading up to bed.

Our longest training run awaits us in the morning - all twenty two miles of it. All being well, this will be despatched within three hours and we'll then start the taper down to London!

I'll let you know how we get on.

Mañana bananas x

Are we nearly there yet?

Blimey!

It's been a right slog, this week.

I seem to be getting slacker and slacker at this blogging lark. I think it's symptomatic of my overall energy levels!

This week has been our highest mileage week thus far. A thumping 47 miles covered since Monday. Not surprisingly, I'm knackered.

Monday saw us belting up and down Bradford Road, doing 2K reps. I get the feeling that our mate, Jonny Turpin, is stalking us because he was there, right on cue, horn beeping, as we thrashed our way up and down. There wasn't much enjoyment to be had - it was dark, the road surface was uneven and the pace was brutally quick. We were both glad to jog the mile back up to the house.

Tuesday was a rest night, which was just as well because Wednesday brought with it our longest scheduled midweek run - 12 miles.

I literally had to drag myself round, still feeling the effects of Monday night in my ever tiring legs. Not one to re-live!

So, it was on to Thursday and, for the first time this week, we were off down Spen for what we thought was a steady five or six miles.

No chance - why do five or six when you can do eight! Yeah, god knows how, but we did it!

Thankfully, Friday and Saturday brought with them a bit of well earned rest. Which was just as well!

Sunday, A.K.A. penultimate long run day, was a belter. Wall to wall sunshine and temperatures climbing to the high teens. Ideal for dossing about in the garden or, better still, the beer garden, but not so clever for running a hilly 20 miler.

Anyway, we set off early, at which point it was still quite cool and misty but, by the time we'd got round to Lucy's (she wanted to run a lap with us), it was cracking the flags!

After belting down Bradford Road, we attacked the steep ascent up Halifax Road, which was a pleasure as ever, but it was a good feeling to be able to have a conversation whilst running up it at pace.

After a quick drink and energy gel, we were back round on lap two. Things got tough after we dropped Lucy off, partly because of the heat but also because my legs were totally knackered and were feeling really heavy. It was a case of digging in and getting round, knowing that it'd been our highest mileage week and it wouldn't get any tougher than this!

Needless to say, I wasn't so speedy or chatty going up Halifax Road for the second time. You know your legs are mashed when an ice bath is welcome relief...

Obviously, after such energy expenditure, it is vital to replace lost nutrients and a Snickers bar, a bag of crisps, two sausage and egg butties and a couple of brews just about did the trick. Followed by homemade steak pie and chips for tea. And a couple of beers.

Strength of the bear!

Week 11. Or should that be 12?

So much for a rest after the efforts of Spen 20!

Well, we did have Monday off but we were back on it for a steady five miles on Tuesday evening.

I say "we", but Sam was still feeling tired and her back was giving her pain, so she sensibly opted for a gentler three miles before heading back to base. There's no point risking things for two measly miles at this stage in the proceedings!

Wednesday was meant to be a long twelve miler but, knowing we'd be feeling it after the Spen 20, we'd wisely opted to swap the week's schedule for the following week's. Thus, twelve miles became a more manageable ten.

We were joined by Lucy, who never ceases to amaze me with her ability to thrash through all distances at whatever pace we throw at her. Tonight however, Lucy was being uncharacteristically low key, probably because she'd not been well for a week or so and had not been running as a result.

Anyway, we set off on our specially extended nine mile route (i.e. ten) and it was relatively soon into it that I realised it was going to be a total ball ache! I thought I'd done nearly four miles, only to realise I'd only done two and a half. I thought I'd done six miles, only to check my Garmin and see that I'd only done four. Bollocks!

It's on nights like this when you've just got to dig in, grit your teeth and get round. So I did. My only saving grace was attacking the hill up Dewsbury Road and feeling a sense of satisfaction when I got to the top and pushed on for home. Done and dusted, but not one of my better nights...

So, it was then on to Thursday and a track session, which ought to have happened on Monday, according to the letter of the law on the schedule. Although we'd swapped the week's plan, we decided to stick with the original track session because it was a shorter distance! Confused yet?! Anyway, despite the swap, we still had to do 16 x 200m reps, with 200m recoveries and the usual mile warm up/down. A total of six miles, but marginally easier than the eight we could have been doing!

I really like track sessions and it was even better on Thursday because Sam was hot on my heels, breathing down my neck on every rep! She didn't beat me - I think she was holding back a bit but then so was I(!) - but it was great to have her firing on all cylinders after a tough few weeks of feeling a bit "off". Skills!

So, that was Thursday. My biggest disappointment was that my Ossett ale negotiation was turning out to be more expensive than initially anticipated! 16 bottles for £25 is not much cop when I can get them for less than £20 with my staff discount. Jackie - if you're reading this, I'm prepared to enter a second round of negotiations and I'm sure we can achieve a mutually beneficial arrangement!

Friday was a much needed rest day, then we were out again on Saturday for a fifteen mile thrash up and down the Greenway, clocking up a not too shabby 1:46 half marathon time along the way.

It was really nice to run on the traffic free, smooth surface of the Greenway, although we didn't much like getting drenched during the first fifteen minutes and spending the rest of the run drying out!

During our last mile or so, we spotted a runner in the distance and decided to chase him down. So, tractor beams locked onto him, we pushed it and caught him pretty easily, even though he was doing sub-eight minute miles. Turns out he (Tom was his name) was training for a 40 mile ultra race in the Peak District in September and was out for a 26 mile training run. Puts things into perspective doesn't it?! Best of luck, youth!

So, that was the week that was. To say it was meant to be a "steady" week, we managed to rack up 56 miles, all in, from Sunday to Saturday! Not a bad effort!

So, another week begins, even though it was meant to be last week. I'll tell you about it later this week because all this time travel is doing my head in!