My Marathon

Okay, so it's been a while...but I'm still here.

Today is the day of the Edinburgh Marathon, so I had resolved to go for a 26.2 mile bike ride today and here it is. What stupid weather we are having - at one point the rain was sooooo heavy I took shelter under some trees at Kirkland and waited for it to blow over, and then not very long afterwards I was cursing myself for not having any sun cream in my kit! Originally planned to go out to Ennerdale Water and back but changed plans at Kirkland and invented a circuit instead, mixing in the end portion of that 18 mile I did back then.... Anyway, very tiring ride, but thoroughly enjoyed it, and as with running, the greatest pleasure is that feeling you get afterwards that you have actually done something worthwhile with the time.



So what about the running? Someone said 'once a runner, always a runner' and at the time I wasn't sure she was right, but now I see that she was. I can't give up running because there simply isn't anything I can replace it with. Nothing else makes me feel quite as good. So, with my asthma now much more controlled than it was - helped by changes in my diet and a heavy limit on alcohol (although have had a coupla glasses of wine since being on holiday) - I have revisited the Runners World beginners schedule.

When I first started running I used this, and I found that it worked pretty well, so I started off with it at week 4, as I am obviously not a total newbie, and am finding the run/walk process to be working okay for me. Additionally I use a face mask to warm and moisten the air that I breathe in, and this also helps.

I have three half marathons planned for the year - one in June (this is on the fells so will not be expecting to run all of it anyway) and then two later in the year (Great North Run in September, and Great Cumbrian Run in October). Both of these I hope to run well. Looking back, the problems I encountered in last years Great North were probably due to asthma. Two weeks later I ran the Cumbrian without any issues - the weather was awful in Newcastle, but a fine day for the Cumbrian. This year I will be ready for that.

It was the poor run in Newcastle that started this blog really, and was intended to follow my training for the year til the next Great North, and that is most definitely the focus for me now.

Not running today as I feel the legs have worked hard enough, but I must take Jasper for a walk yet. First up though - definitely earned a coffee.

PS Thanks to Adele for "Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements"...