Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Suffering Along The Shore

by Russell Turner - 21:00 on 16 August 2021

It’s just under seven weeks to the Loch Ness Marathon, the first of my three long-distance autumn challenges, and training is getting tough. Having completed marathon plans five times before (and reached the second 18-mile weekend for the abandoned virtual Edinburgh) you’d think I’d have the hang of it by now, but if anything the effort’s becoming harder. Maybe turning 63 is to blame.

Today’s long run was ‘only’ 14 miles – barely more than a half marathon. The weather was favourable (mild with little wind), and my overall pace of 10:16 min/mile was slower than some similar distances I’ve completed, yet it’s left me with legs that feel like tree trunks. What’s going on?

I even made it easy for myself. The plan called for five miles easy/steady, four at marathon pace (whatever that is), then five more easy/steady, so I ran/walked the fives and ran the four, all along the shore road which is the least unflat local route. Despite that, it was hard.

However, as always (much to Matchgirl’s occasional annoyance) I can see the glass half full: I didn’t deviate from the plan, I drank enough Tailwind, my final three miles were only 30secs slower than the first three, and the average pace was a mere 1sec per mile slower than I’d need to break the 4:30 barrier. But it was hard; if I’d not already completed five marathons I’d wonder how I could possibly add another 12.2 miles to today’s total.

Some masochists advocate an ice bath after a hard run. Other experts claim a hot bath is equally beneficial, so I followed their advice and spoiled myself with a rare soak while listening to A Farewell To Kings by Rush and New World Record by ELO on the iPod Matchgirl gifted me for my birthday, played through a Bluetooth speaker. The teenage me who bought the LPs would have thought that science fiction – and the marathon training as complete lunacy.

Next Monday’s long run features four sets of four miles, two of them at marathon pace. I’ll try to go slower on the easy bits. It’s the going slow that makes you fast, the running coaches say.

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