#Marathon "monkey on my back" - PT3

See my blog 17th June - "Monkey on my back".

I am now about 6 weeks in from my enrolment in the April 2017 Paris Marathon. Here is an update of my training progress and thoughts relating.

The good news is I am working at it and my commitment is strong. I have been running 5 days a week on average but with some notable exceptions that set me back. The first was effectively a week at the Glastonbury Festival - a brilliant unmissable time - but about as far away from the concept of a training camp as you could possibly get! The other was the family camping holiday down in Cornwall. While we had plenty of fresh air and other types of exercise (and I was able to do a few short runs) it was also a "social time" and on balance I am pretty sure fitness levels in running terms at least did not go forward - ha!

However - back at home - the focus is good. Here are some thoughts.

• My stamina is pretty good but my pace is very slow.
• There are all sorts of books and training programmes out there for preparing to run a marathon but I don't want the tyranny of them - I want to work out what is best for me and do it myself.
• My only objective is to run the Paris Marathon in April 2017 without stopping or walking.
• In November 2014 after a reasonable amount of training I did the Exeter Great South West Half in 2 1/2 hours. I was very tired - or at least my legs had seized - so to do double - and achieve 5 hours is a massive and possibly unrealistic ask.
• However I have learned this and am mindful of it - by going slower but for longer you are likely to tire yourself more than if you go faster for a shorter time. (do you use less fuel if you drive a car for 100 miles at 50 miles an hour and take 2 hours or drive the same distance at 70 miles an hour and therefore take one hour 40 mins ?) For instance over the years we have done the Walk the Wight and IOW Randonee. Both are long events. When we have done them with slow family groups we are much more tired than when we have done them with a quicker group and have not been out on the course for so long.
• With this in mind I think it is important I work on increasing my basic running speed otherwise I am going to be on the course for hours and hours. 5 hours is going to be my target at this stage - not longer. I am setting this objective - not because time is important in itself but because I think it might be an optimum time for me.
• So I have two objectives. One is to build up the distance I am capable of running until I have a chance of having a go at the 26 miles - the other is to increase my basic pace.
• I think the pace increase should come first - and then add on the distance progressively and maintaining that pace - that is my strategy for the time being at least.

I have a new Garmin Forerunner 10 watch which works off GPS. A marathon is 26.2 miles. 5 hours is 300 minutes - so run 26.2 miles in 300 minutes the level pace has to be about 1 mile in 11mins.25 secs. (so actually my current pace is ok - maybe I could do a 4 hour marathon - stupid thought !)

So my objective for the next couple of weeks is to do my regular runs at 11min.25sec miles. I can do that - distance 3 miles. A slow build up - a sensibly slow build up I hope - I have the time. April 2017 is still a long way away - the focus is there and I am really enjoying the satisfaction of putting the runs under my belt and the good feeling that comes from the simplicity of running !

Footnote - had a lovely 3 mile jog this evening - ran along the seafront between Cowes and Gurnard and back. Quiet - setting sun shimmering on the dark flat Solent sea. The 3 miles by coincidence took exactly 30 minutes - so 10 minute miles. Met James with his running club at the Woodvale Gurnard  for a couple of beers. A very enjoyable way of spending an evening. Life is about balance most of the time - ha!