She who runs faster, walks slower

Today I learnt the hard way that an early morning sports massage and a lunchtime dance round the kitchen to Prodigy's Firestarter do not go together.

This weekend saw the toughest part of my training to date. At the end of a high mileage week, I had to run 9 miles at race pace on Saturday followed by a 19 mile long run on Sunday. This is all part of the Hal Higdon's advanced marathon training plan, and (I assume) is designed to build your endurance for the race ahead.

I headed off out into the light snow flurries on Saturday with my goal pace in mind. As is my usual habit, I went off far too fast and ended up at a pace about 25-30 seconds a minute faster than planned. I decided to see how long I could keep it up, expecting the usual drop off in pace. But instead of dropping my pace, I managed to stay below the target pace I'd set myself and did the whole 9 miles in 1:21 - my fastest ever training time in nearly 4 years of marathon training.

There are benefits to running faster than usual. I felt incredibly proud of myself. I got home for lunch a lot sooner than I would have if I had just plodded round at a medium pace. And my breathing was so noisy, I didn't once have to ask a pedestrian to move aside - they all dutifully stepped out of the way at the sound of the wheezing human looming behind them. But after six puffs on the inhaler when I got home, I was ok and raring to recover by making petits macarons.

While I was elated at my Saturday achievement (the run, not the macarons), I knew it would mean a hard time on Sunday. And sure enough, 19 miles to Richmond Park and back felt like 900 miles up Everest. The climb up Richmond Hill to the park nearly finished me off before I'd even managed 6 miles, and the undulations of the park itself were a massive effort. At one point, my pace was so slow, I swear a stationary rubbish bin overtook me. But I regained a bit of oxygen on the descent down Richmond Hill on the way home and managed to cover the last four miles with some dignity.

The advantages to running more slowly are that the wheezing and puffing noises I made were not quite as severe but the major disadvantage was that my legs were no longer my own. I think it's safe to say that is the most I've hurt after a training run. While I could still manage to get up or down stairs, my post-run stretch & foam roller session indicated that I'd used some calf muscles that have never been used before. 'Not to worry', I thought, 'at least I've booked in a sports massage for Tuesday morning'.

This morning, as I laid face down on a bed, screaming with pain while my physio tortured my calves, I wasn't entirely sure of the value of the massage bit anymore. On balance, I think I'd rather walk down the stairs of the Eiffel Tower the day after a marathon than go through that again. (NB Paris marathoners - this is a very bad idea, trust me).

Apparently my whojamaflit and my perimebob are a bit knackered after the weekend's efforts, so I am now k-taped up for a few days to get me through my next couple of training runs. Hopefully this monochrome concoction will help ease the soreness and keep my training on track, ready for a nice combo of 10 miles + 20 miles at the end of this week!

Something old, something new

I'm into week 10 of my marathon training plan - over halfway now. I think everything is progressing ok, although I know I need to do more trigger release on my right glute and work on my calves and ITB before I feel really comfortable about attempting a marathon again.

I've been a lot easier on myself in this training plan that before. I'm doing 85-90% of the plan, and not stressing about the odd run I miss due to other life commitments. I am also trying to maintain a focus on the non-running side of things, be that nutrition, stretching, foam rollering or lying on the sofa watching a movie after a long run. These are just as important as the running itself, really, and I'm trying to respect those aspects of my marathon preparation.

The other big change for me in this marathon training is the inclusion of speedwork. Despite this being the 5th marathon I have trained for, I have never really pushed myself with speedwork before, apart from 10 mile or half-marathon races in the run-up. I'm lazy with intervals and have never really been able to measure my own pace very well. So the last 9 weeks have incorporated two new elements: interval sessions with my running club, and wearing a Garmin.

The interval sessions are positive on many levels. They enable me to engage with other runners, of varying ability, and encourage me to push myself much harder. My club, Ealing Eagles, is very friendly and supportive so it's been really easy to stick to the Thursday night interval principle. I've only missed one session since the year started, because I went to the opera (another first!), and the club coaches deserve all the praise for keeping me interested and engaged. I've even tried out the track for the first time, and tonight am going back for a second attempt at track running. The track is the toughest training I've ever done, second only in pain levels to the day after a marathon, so it must be doing me a lot of good!

The other way I've worked on a faster pace is to wear a Garmin. I've always recorded my runs on my phone before, and during races wear a sportswatch to time my laps. But out on the towpaths, or in the parks, I've always just run 'blind'. This is very liberating and probably has contributed to my enjoyment of marathon training but if I'm going to get faster, and pace myself properly, I need a Garmin.

After a few teething troubles with the equipment, I've used it to incorporate some tempo runs into my schedule. I know I should have been doing tempo runs before now, but I told you I was lazy! Running 3-4 miles at race pace is definitely good for the confidence and the plan works towards longer tempo runs in the coming weeks. This faster pace training definitely contributed to my strong finish in the Watford half (which counteracted a very slow middle section) and hopefully it will translate into some strong miles in the London marathon too.

I suppose I won't really know if the intervals and the more controlled pacing have had an impact on my race time until marathon day. With only one more test race in the preparation (Maidenhead 10 miles on Good Friday), I won't get many more opportunities to review my progress in a race. But that's almost part of the fun of marathon training: the unpredictability of the day itself, and how you will perform when the chips are down. All I know is that I've taken myself out of my comfort zone after four years of plateauing. No matter what happens on the day, I've tried something new, used some new muscle groups,and enjoyed it. That can only be a good thing.

Fall in love with a new route for Valentine's Day

I'm not meant for spring marathons really. Training in the winter is not nearly as much as training in the summer, although I do enjoy the odd run on crunchy new snow. But rain combined with cold wind is no-one's favourite running conditions. And if it is your favourite, well then you're just weird!

But I am training for a spring marathon so I've got to get out there 5 times a week. I've got to run a range of distances at different paces. I've got a route for every single distance I need to run in training. I've got a series of mile and half mile loops dotted around my home that I can stick in at the end if a long run falls a bit short. My brain is a veritable directory of run routes.

But as I reach the halfway point in my London marathon training, (and my 4th marathon training in 2 years) I'm getting a bit bored with those routes. Like any partners in a long-term relationship, my routes and I are getting a bit stale. We're taking each other for granted, just rubbing along on a daily basis, with little or no romance in our day to day lives.
As with any partnership, your relationship with your routes takes work. It requires effort. It requires those little surprise touches to keep the romance alive.

While my route directory can't take me out for a nice meal, offer me a glass of fizz or whisk me away for a weekend, together we can keep things fresh. In the last week, I aimed to include a new section in every run. Last Friday's 16 miler took me down a new section of the Thames, from Putney to Kew. I run Kew to Chiswick regularly, but never usually go past Chiswick Bridge, so it was a whole new section for me and my brain. And a completely different direction too, which is of course is the easiest way to spice up your running life (and God knows, those long runs need some spice). This morning I ran my 9 mile river route on the other side of the river from usual. A simple change but it felt exciting. Just like a first date.

I find Gmap pedometer really useful for plotting new routes, but most of the time I just let myself get a bit lost in a familiar area. I'm lucky, I can run by the Thames, and a river is a great way to reassure yourself that you will never get really lost. It's like a soggy, dirty, unhygienic comfort blanket.

So fall in love again with your local running routes. Run a route the opposite way. Add a new turn into the route, see where it takes you. Add a couple of miles onto a tried and tested route over a certain distance. Take a bus to a new location and run home.  You can only get lost on a new route once - after that, you can add it to your list of conquests. Whether or not you choose to keep the relationship alive is up to you, but at least you gave it a chance!