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.

A Comfortable Start

by Russell Turner - 16:51 on 12 June 2022

Sixteen weeks today – all being well – I’ll run my fifth consecutive London Marathon (if I’m allowed to include the two virtual ones) and eighth overall. Who’d have thought it?

My cunning plan to make Sunday, when most people do their long runs, a rest day has already been proved wise. I was in bed at 2am after last night’s wedding gig and awake again at 5am when Maia told me (Matchgirl is currently lazing in Shetland) it was time for breakfast. I resisted for 30mins before getting up. Even the modest 75mins required for the first long run would have been too much after only three hours’ sleep.

So while runners doing 16-week training plans take their first steps tomorrow, I’m already halfway through Week 1, having completed three back-to-back runs for the first time since early February: a steady which was a tad too fast, an easy which was just right, and some tempo which was also in the target area. So far, so good, and my stiff ankle is behaving itself.

I’ve even had decent weather, if a touch windy, unlike the poor sods who ran the Skye Half Marathon yesterday who endured gales and lashing rain. Some still enjoyed it. It takes all sorts.

Tomorrow’s fourth run is a mixed bag of easy, tempo and a hill before the first long run, which should cover around seven miles at the run/walk I’ll use for all my big efforts and on Marathon Day itself, if ego can be kept in check. Facebook reveals that lots of others plan to run/walk, at a variety of ratios, to complete the distance so I won’t be alone in walking within the first few minutes. If it means my pace will be as fast – or faster – at the finish as it is at the start it will be worth the pitying looks.

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