Literally

M&S, Charing Cross station, lunchtime - behind me in the queue

"This [the queue] is literally taking 10 hours" - Squeaky voiced girl 1
"I am literally freezing to death" - Squeaky voiced girl 2
"I don't even want this but I am literally going to starve to death if I don't eat something - is that literally all you are going to have?"
"I am literally dying of cold"

And so it goes on...all the way to the till

Never too hot to heckle but sometimes too tired to talk

I've just finished my 16 mile run - my longest run ever. And it feels like it. Every bone, sinew and muscle south of my waist is crying right now. No amount of ice packs and recovery drinks are going to stop me from hurting tomorrow. I even have a blister. I haven't had a blister for a year! - I think my feet are trying to tell me something.

The hardest part is the boredom. That is the longest period of time I've ever spent running and perhaps I need to take a more unfamiliar route for my long runs, just to keep the interest going. The most excitement I had was when a fly flew up my right nostril at 8 miles - it took me nearly half a mile to get it out so I could breathe again. God, running makes you do disgusting things.
I'm also bored of being heckled now. These people don't even come up with anything remotely witty or original. I say, if you can't think of something funny to say, keep your car window and your mouth shut.

At least the weather was kind - today has been a warm, sunny, perfect running Sunday. I've even got a tanline where my shorts stop. 

I suspect that the weather might be about to change, though. I've checked my training programme and the coming week is the marathon week in a marathon training programme. The shortest run this week is 7 miles (and that's intervals!) with more than 40 miles over the week, culminating in 18 miles next Sunday. It's going to test all my planning and logistical skills to fit these totals in round a full time job, and I think that this amount of mileage is definitely tempting weather fate - I'm due a soaking and I just have to hope it won't be on the 18 miler next week!

LON

Hate and love on the streets of London

Last night's 7 mile run didn't start off too well, when a teenage boy decided to sprint after me and try to trip me up. Fairly terrifying at the time, more because I was thinking I would be injured and not able to do the marathon, but after I got home it was scary for other reasons. I'm still at a loss to work out how he missed me, I must just have had my feet off the ground at the right time. Sad to think that this is what teenage boys think impress the girls, but an extra incentive to keep up the interval training so I can really hit the sprint button when I need to.

It wasn't all evil teenagers. On the final stretch home, a different teenage boy told me I had a nice bum. And yes, he did say 'bum', what a nice polite boy!

The bit in between wasn't too bad either - I felt fit again, for the first time in a fortnight and seemed to be ok at tackling the two hills I wedged in there. I'm still crossing everything that New York is flat, because it's just so much easier than running up and down slopes, but at least I'm getting prepared for it if it's not.

I was down to run a 10k race originally this weekend, as part of my original programme, but given the hiccup caused by my lurgy a couple of weeks ago, I've decided to scrap it altogether and 'just' run a gentle 16 miles instead. I had seriously considered getting the bus to the 10k, running the race then running the 9.5 miles back home, but somebody very sensible has managed to talk me out of it. Shame, it might have been fun!

16 miles seems so far at this stage. As I plot a route 8 miles out and 8 miles back, it really makes you think about how far you travel when you do your training. I'm beginning to think I might be mildly insane just attempting this distance, although I suppose the next three weeks will be telling, as I build up to running 20 miles. Apparently you just run the last 6 on adrenaline. I'm just not so sure my adrenaline works so well as the rest of the marathon running community!

LON

A decent interval

With 6 weeks to go until the big 26, and the GNR under the belt, the miles are now starting to increase. I eased myself back, post lurgy, with an interval training session. No, seriously, it was ok. I avoided hills. Seemed to do the trick nicely, so hope those 5 boroughs are flat.

I'm working up to 16 miles this weekend and looking forward to finding out how that feels.

In the meantime, I've been pondering a question that lots of people have asked me recently. When I say I'm doing a marathon, everyone asks how much weight I've lost. The answer is a big fat 'none'. I did think that as the mileage started to get higher, I would see a difference but instead I've stayed a very steady state. Maybe it's the Jaffa cakes. Or recovery shakes. Or a combination of the cakes and shakes.

On a positive note, for those of you thinking that running is waste of time if you don't lose any pounds, you could crack an egg on my thighs. Shame it's winter and I won't get to show them off in their new, highly toned, prime. It's a hard life, this training lark...

LON

I bet you don't get 'oggy oggy oggy' in New York

Well, readers - I did not defer. I ran the Great North Run yesterday, in glorious sunshine, and in a personal best of 2 hours 7 minutes. It may not have been as fast as I'd planned, but it will do for now, considering I'd been convinced I'd have to pull out less than a week ago.

And I'm so glad I decided not to defer - it was an amazing experience, not about doing a fast time at all but about just enjoying the day. The atmosphere is fantastic, with seemingly the whole of Newcastle, Gateshead and South Shields out to cheer you on. They don't just provide vocal support but also give you ice pops, orange segments, baby wipes and chocolate digestives along the way, just to make sure you never flag. It seems like every kid in the region is out on the street, waiting to give you a high/low five or an 'oggy oggy oggy'. Definitely a big thanks to the locals - they really make the race something special.

For people whose only experience of the North East is watching the Great North Run on TV, I would just like to point out that the weather is not usually like this but manages to be freakishly fine every year for the race.  And for those of us whose only previous experience of South Shields coast is sitting in the car, in the car park looking out at the sea with our coats on, as it's too cold to get out, then yesterday's conditions were even more freakish!

I'm pretty much over my cold now and feeling good, so happy to have gone through the experience of yesterday. As well as being on a post-race high, I am now really looking forward to doing the New York Marathon. I can now imagine what that big race atmosphere is like and have some experience of running in a very big field! Now I've got the half marathon under my belt, I'm ready to get back into training properly and Operation 5 Boroughs begins this week!

LON

To defer or not to defer, that is the question

Well, I'm feeling a lot better in myself but have developed an annoying cough. I can't decide whether it's on my chest or not, which is a key question - if it's gone to my chest, I probably shouldn't run.

I'm in a complete dilemma about deferring my entry. I know that my ultimate goal is the marathon in November, but I had entered the Great North Run way back in January, before my marathon place was a reality, and it seems such a shame that I'm not going to be able to give it my best shot. This time last week I was feeling confident of a PB in the race, I was feeling fast and fit. Now I sound like an old lady smoking 400 a day!

A little tester run today showed my heart rate was normal, so I'm obviously not suffering too much. I'm certainly not coughing when I'm running. But I've missed 3 runs now and a lot of miles of preparation, so I'm not likely to do nearly as well as I'd hoped.

And this might be my only chance to run the Great North Run - I was so lucky to get a ballot place and I can't help thinking I should defer to next year and give myself a real chance to run a fast race in the biggest half marathon. I can still put in a long run on Sunday, as a training run, but not in the race. I've always wanted to run this race, even before I got into running I'd always said I would like to run it one day. Now I've got this fantastic opportunity and those  pesky germs have ruined it.

I'm going to give it until the end of the week to decide - I've got two more opportunities to have a training run this week, and see how I feel after those. If it's not good, I can always defer by phone on Friday.

And if it's good, well, South Shields here I come...

And when they were up, they were up. And when they were down, they were down

I'm glad to see the back of week 8. It's not gone to plan.

When you tell people you're doing a marathon, they are either totally unimpressed (let's face it, lots of people do it, so it's no biggie) or else they respond as if you are taking on some kind of insane physical challenge that no-one, including you, could possibly survive. But the physical part of running is only half of it - I've learnt this week is that the hard bit is the mental challenge. That doesn't just apply to the race itself but the training too.

I realise I've had it easy - my training programme has been going great, the weather has been good to me, I've been able to make it for runs before and after work with little problem, and I've stayed injury-free. But now I've come down with some sort of cough/cold, and I've needed to stay off the roads and just rest, I've gone into a mild panic.

I was supposed to do my 16 mile run this weekend, but cough and cold are not the best preparation for the longest run you've ever done in your life and I've agreed to stay home and adjust my programme. My first panic was that I was getting the Piggy Flu and would not be well enough to run in next Sunday's Great North Run, but I soon realised that it wasn't that serious. Now I'm worried what the hiccup in my training might do to my overall fitness and ability to complete the marathon in the way I would like. And I'm finding the worry - and enforced inactivity - difficult to deal with. It's sad but true, but I've got used to the weekend routine and the long run. I'm lost without it.

But, as I said, it's a mental challenge as much as a physical challenge and I've got to stay positive. I'm going to treat this as a practice 'wall' and how I get through this wall will be good training for if I hit a low mid-marathon.

So instead of being cavalier and attempting 16 miles, I did a  very slow 6 miles today. I feel ok, no coughing or breathing problems, so as long as I take it easy this week I'll be fine for next Sunday, although I may not get to do it as fast as I would like. But who knows, maybe the 'rest week' will help my raceday performance in the end. And as for the Five Boroughs  - well, what's the rush? The medal will be there waiting for me, whatever time I finish.

LON

Halfway measures

This morning's run marked the halfway point in my marathon training programme. Although it's another milestone achieved, I don't feel like celebrating at all.

Maybe it's the fact I feel like I'm getting the lurgy, maybe it's the fact I had a couple of drinks and not enough to eat last night, maybe I'm just bored of running familiar routes. But I don't feel particularly good about the progress so far.

This morning's run was full of heckles, plus a near miss when I fell off a kerb just at the end of mile 3. Luckily I managed to save myself and not twist any ankles but it gave me a real shake-up. I think I'm just overtired and events outside of training are catching up on me, what with my face-ache, sore throat and a general lack of sleep. My travel schedule for work over the next couple of weeks is going to make it very complicated to fit the runs in, as they get longer and require more time. So I foresee lots of very early starts just to rack up the miles, and even less sleep than I'm getting now. I'm going to force myself to take it very easy this weekend and conserve some energy for those final 7 weeks, and of course, the GNR.

If I can't shake the week 8 blues, I just need to make sure I don't carry them over to week 9 and the Great North Run itself.

LON

this is a low

The transition from week 7 to week 8 has been a tricky one. Not in terms of miles, but mentally.

I knocked out my 14 mile run with few problems on Saturday morning. A beautiful sunny morning and a gorgeous change of North Yorkshire scenery made for a really nice run, complete with immaculate public toilet for mid-run loo panic (Harrogate Borough Council, I salute you you are a prince among local authorities). Harrogate/Knaresborough also seems to be very popular with runners and cyclists so it was nice to pass other people doing the same as me, as opposed to be stared at like a freak for tackling any form of physical activity (yes, Lowestoftians, I do mean you...).

But since then, events seemed to have ganged up on me. Beloved has developed a hacking cough, which peaked in a 3 hour coughing fit in the early hours of Monday night, leaving me with relatively little sleep after the weekend. To make matters worse, I've developed the most intense face-ache down the right side of my head. It is tender to touch, and too sore to sleep on that side, plus my forehead and cheekbone throb constantly. While this doesn't really affect my running leg-wise, the whole lack of sleep combined with constant pain has left me feeling really sorry for myself and pretty pooped.

Today was supposed to be interval training day, but the session just looked so complicated it made my head hurt even more just thinking about it. Instead I headed out for a fartlek session, just sprinting when I felt like it, and this really seemed to work. I felt fast and fit on the fartlek parts of the run, and was just glad to be out running in general. Hopefully another good night's sleep tonight so I can tackle 8 miles tomorrow and get back on my mental track.

With less than two weeks to go to the Great North Run, my germ radar is still on red alert. Vitamin supplements and echinacea tablets are keeping everything at bay for now, but regular emails from the Bupa GNR organisers telling me to defer if I feel the slightest sniffle are now starting to make me nervous. I will be devastated if I have to defer at this stage, so am crossing everything that I don't catch any germs or break any ankles between now and the 20th.

LON

What could possibly go wrong?

I'm stacking the extra mileage up this week, with only my 14 mile run left for the weekend. Wednesday's 6 miles was a milestone, in that it's the first time I've got a proper soaking during my training. As we are now in autumn, I'm assuming I'm going to get a few more dunkings between now and the race but I don't really have too much choice - no fair weather running allowed when you're training for a marathon.

I'm getting prepared for the weather though - I've bought an extra pair of trainers. Yes, I like running in my new Salvations so much, I've bought another pair while they're still in the sale (unlike Mr Remington, I don't have enough money to buy the company :( ). This should mean that if I get really wet on one run, I don't have to go out in wet trainers the next day - I've learnt this the hard way, it's not pleasant, and I'm just relieved I missed out on the showers on my second 6-miler yesterday.

What I'm not prepared for is the germs. Everyone around seems to have a cold or a cough right now. While it's easy to blame the weather, I'm now in a state of high alert. A cold now could totally screw up my chances for the Great North Run, and a really bad one could mean I have to defer. I will be gutted if I have to defer so am crossing everything that I get through the next two weeks without germs. I'll try to work from home as much as possible, and I've heard sticking vaseline up your nose works well too. And I'll keep washing my hands religiously.

I've also signed up for one more race before the marathon, this time a local 10k at the end of September. It's a final test of speed as well as a bit more experience of race day nerves. As long as the lurgy doesn't get me, I've definitely got my plan together for the rest of my training. I'm just not sure about the contingency...

LON

The hills are alive with the sound of wheezing

Oh evil, evil training programme, you do contain some horrors.

Last night's fun and games interval session was hills. Eight of them, to be precise. In quick succession.

What kind of evil genius thinks these training plans up? Apparently this sort of session is supposed to 'keep me interested'. If 'interested' is a euphemism for 'out of breath' then it's working.

I went to bed suffering from some severely achy legs and a red face, 4 hours after the event. I'm not sure which is going to give out first in this training, my knees or my capillaries.

LON

Operation GNR begins

6 weeks of training down, 9 more to go. I only managed one run over the bank holiday weekend, but it was a lovely 5 miler along the Suffolk coast - if only I could run along sunny beach promenades more often, I'm sure this training programme would hurt nearly as much.
True, Lowestoft is obviously not a big running town. I didn't see a single other runner in the whole of my 5 miles, although I did see plenty of other activity along the prom, prom, prom -namely, multiple motorised chairs carrying the local overweights - people of Lowestoft, put down thy fish and chips and walk.

I'm now heading into my first big week - lots of mileage (well over 30 miles in total) and, officially, my longest distance so far - 14 miles. Given that the furthest I've ever run is a half-marathon, this is 0.9 miles of new territory for me. Literally and figuratively, as I'll be in Harrogate this weekend so have to plot myself a 14 mile route in a relatively unfamiliar (and potentially very hilly) location.

I'm also adjusting my focus and not thinking so much about running a marathon at the moment. Until September 20, my runs and my training are all part of my preparation for the Great North Run and running a fast half marathon time there. Once that's out of the way, I can concentrate more on the last leg of the programme and the ultimate target of 26.2 miles round the 5 boros

I'm a little bit concerned about stepping up my mileage this week, mainly because I'm worried my knees won't hold out but, at the moment, my main injury concern is my left shoulder. It's not a new injury, I've been nursing it for a few weeks, but a bit embarrassed to talk about it, given the circumstances of how I hurt myself.

I've now decided it's my duty to alert readers to this potential threat. It's one of those things - you start training for a marathon and you dread getting an injury to a foot, a knee, a hip or any leg muscle. You avoid germs so as not to get swine flu that will set back your training programme. What no-one ever warns you about is pulling your shoulder muscle while removing a sports bra. The same shoulder - 3 times. Agony! It's a fantastic sports bra while I'm wearing it, but it's an absolute nightmare to remove - it's like removing a support stocking. All this has meant me getting stuck inside it more times than I care to mention, which is alright if Beloved is around to get me out of it, but if he's not, then my left shoulder pops out.

Given how paranoid I am about hurting myself and not being able to run the marathon (it's an expensive trip, otherwise!), this is probably the best I can hope for injury-wise. In the meantime, the hunt for a new style of sports bra begins before I do myself some serious damage.

LON