I had a strange ambivalence towards running this morning. It wasn’t a case that I didn’t want to: more a case of not being bothered about it.
This is possibly something to do with the fact that the hard work is done and the next three weeks is about comprehensively sorting out my niggly injuries and recuperating ahead of the big day.
I stretched comprehensively before I started and then again at the 5-mile mark and ran a total of 8 miles in 1.13 and 22 seconds. It was really no bother, to the extent that I even counted up for a change rather than down. I kept changing the pace slightly each quarter-mile, but kept within the envelope of 6 to 7.2mph. And I stretched out again afterwards.
Of course, my ambivalence may also be something to do with the amount of running I’ve done lately. Further my post on January 31st (in which I highlighted that I had managed to fit in 12 runs, 14 hours of running time and cover 88.1 miles in January), I have had two further bumper months.
In February I had 15 runs, lasting 18 hours 48 minutes and covering 131.9 miles.
In March I have now completed 17 runs, lasting 5 minutes short of a whole day and have covered 157.25 miles.
That means I could reach Birmingham or Yeovil on foot in twenty-four hours of running… if I were allowed to stick to the motorways, of course! Or put another way, I covered almost exactly the distance of six complete marathons.
I have much (much) less planned in the next few weeks up to the marathon, but I already have the subsequent challenge lined up in the summer and this time it’s about running fast, rather than long, so please watch this space!
One last thing… Happy Birthday Debbie!