This is an important month for my training

This is a very important month for my marathon training, so I hope it goes well.  Time will tell.

I got a 4-mile recovery run in yesterday and felt fine, if a little achey.  This morning I'm fine and think I could got for a long run if I wanted to.  That's good as it means I have recovered pretty well from the weekend's efforts.

(**If you're slightly squeamish, please don't read the next bit).
I think I may lose a toenail though.  I did lose the same nail that is causing issues after London 2010 and it is a bit sore today as well.  I've been advised to Lock Lacing, which will help the laces stay tight and help avoid movement in the shoe.

(**You can carry on reading now...).
A I mentioned, this is an important month for me with a couple of  20 milers in the plan.  I may actually up one of those to 22 if I feel I can.

The rough plan is:
w/c 4th March
5 mile easy
Club speed/hill training
8 mile easy
16 mile LSR
Total:  about 34

w/c 11th March
9 mile easy
Club speed/hill training
6 mile easy
20 mile LSR
Total: about 40

w/c 18th March
5 mile easy
15 mile mid-week long run
8 mile tempo
10K race
Total: about 34

w/c 25th March
10 mile easy
Club speed/hill training
5 mile tempo
20-22 LSR
Total: about 40-42

If I do that lot, it'll be around 163 miles (including the half I did on the 3rd), which I think will be a record.  In a way, the 10K race has come at the wrong time for me as that week's mileage is down a bit on what it should be, but I think it should work out okay.

I'm still on 100% for Jantastic, which I'm pleased with.  The March challenge is to specify how many runs a week I'll do (I've said 4 again) and  say what the longest runs each week will be (I've planned the above and input that into the Marathon Talk website).  The extra challenge for March is to say what I'll do a set distance in.  For that, I'm using the 10K race and I've said 46:30, so we'll see how that goes!

18 mile run this morning....a good end to the running week, and a great start to a week's holiday!

I mentioned in my last post about the need to slow down on my long runs - I've even put a separate page on my blog so my paces are there for everyone to see!

Well, I'm pleased to say that I did the run in an average of 10:07 min/mile, which is pretty much bang on my LSR pace, so I've got to pleased with that.  I purposefully picked it up a bit on my last 2-miles (under 9min/mile) and I'm pleased that I felt strong at the end.

I tried a couple of other changes for this morning's run:
- although I have ensured I've been well hydrated all week, I have been wondering if I've been under-hydrating on the day of an LSR.  This morning before I set out I chugged down nearly 3 pints of water, as well as my coffee and shredded wheat.  I did need a pit stop at only mile 2 but other than that it was fine.  Obviously a slow 18-miler is much different to a race pace Half Marathon, but I'm hoping this change will do me well, particularly when the temperature start increasing.  I think I did "bonk" a bit at the event last weekend and I definitely didn't today.
- I binned the flapjacks in favour of 8 Jaffa Cakes, and I must say they went down a treat.  I just took them in a pocket and they were easy to eat and digest.

This all means that I've done 36.5 mile this week...if I include last Sunday's Half Marathon it's nearly 50 which is a record I think.

I put two Marathon Talk podcasts on my iPod Shuffle today and I timed it so they ran out just as I was finishing.  It all means that I'm still at 100% for Jantastic, and we're 50% through the challenge now.

Plus, my wife had made some pancakes for when I got back.

So, all in all a great run - I'm mark it as a 10 out of 10!  Even better is that I'm now on holiday for a week.