Back in training

Although this blog began as a marathon training diary and therefore reached a natural hiatus when I completed my marathon, I've missed writing about my running and my attempts at post-marathon training. I've missed having a transatlantic running partner as well.

As the new year started, I started to think about targets for the year. I'm the kind of runner who needs a race to aim for, an incentive to get out of bed in the dark mornings and go for a run. In my post-marathon adrenalin rush, I'd entered the lottery for a place in the Manhattan half-marathon in March. This may seem a bit extreme, but there are no real options for half marathons early in the year here in the UK, as all the London Marathon participants snap up the places.

But last week, when I woke up to an email confirming my half marathon place, I'll admit to a dilemma.  I was thrilled to think the opportunity to run in New York had come up so quickly, but immediately panicked when I realised it was only 10 weeks away and I needed to rack up the training miles fast. But when I found out that my speedster NY running buddy had a place too, and that Virgin and BA were offering ridiculous prices for flights to New York until the end of March, my mind was made up. I was going for the Manhattan half, and I was resurrecting the training diary.

It won't be half a diary for half the distance but I'll have to work out what my race goals are. This will be my 4th half marathon, as opposed to a first full marathon, so it's different in the sense I know I can run the distance. I'd love to run a faster half marathon, although this may be too early in the year and too much of a shock to be the PB of the year. So in the meantime, I'll settle for having the chance to run new parts of New York City while getting back into a regular training programme.

In the short term, training is going to prove interesting. Britain is in the grip of a big freeze (shocker - who would have thought it would get really cold in winter?) and in typical British style we have mishandled everything in spectacular style. There is not enough grit to go round, so smaller roads and those in rural communities remain impassable, while urban pavements are icy and treacherous. This has made running incredibly difficult over the last few weeks as you can't get any grip. It's like Bambi's first steps - your left leg moves out to the left, your right leg moves out to the right and the next thing you're doing the splits, and hanging onto to a fence like your life depends upon it. Or else you end up running in a strange tiptoe fashion, sliding back a few millimetres with every step. The worst is when you start off running thinking you've found a great, ice-free, route then you run into a massive sheet of ice that won't let you progress and you have to turn round and head for home on your tiptoes.

Fortunately for my training plan, central London is way too cool for snow, so it is a different world - mostly free of snow or ice, with plenty of options for running routes that won't guarantee a major injury. So this morning I ran before work, along the Thames, taking in two bridges, two stations, a Royal Festival Hall, one Houses of Parliament, an obelisk and a water works. It's not all glamour, you know.

Then I showered at the office. Where there is no hot water. With minus temperatures outside, and icy cold water in the shower, it dawns on me that this is why people think runners are bonkers. The madness begins again...

LON