264.81 - 285.94km: Last Big Run, Birthday and nerves for the big one (Solo Run)

This morning I completed my last double figure run before next weekend’s London Marathon with a comfortable Half Marathon run around the streets of Lincoln. This week my attention had been very much focussed on the London Marathon on the 21^st however I still had one final weekend before the big day to fit in another run. The Rother Valley 10k that was called off last month had been rescheduled for tomorrow (14^th April), however I am in Blackpool for a family christening so I had to withdraw my entry and fit my 1000km Challenge run in on a Saturday instead.

As with my many of my Solo Runs so far this year I opted to run a Half Marathon distance and take advantage of not being restricted by the distance of the race. I set out with the intention of running at my target Marathon pace of 8 minute miles, but taking it very steady and adapting, even shortening the run to a 10k if necessary.

I was a little bit anxious before this run about whether 21.13km was too much the week before m first Marathon, but fortunately my run was competed without any issues. A couple of miles in I stopped chasing the 8 minute miles and just let my body run at whichever pace it wanted to do. There would be very little I could do in today’s run to make my time at next week’s marathon faster, but there was a hell of a lot I could do to make it slower. On the whole the combination of a bit of tiredness, hills and cautiousness took my run a minute and a half over the time I wanted, but I finished without rolling my ankle or injuring myself in any silly way which was the main thing.

My attention recently has been very much on the London Marathon that I’d almost forgotten that my birthday is next Tuesday (16^th). I have been so busy this year with running and raising awareness of my fundraising and the cause behind it that it has completely snuck up on me. April is a very busy month in my family with four birthdays (my Sister’s, Brother’s, Dad’s and mine) and an almost annual trip to the London Marathon to watch one of us run. As mentioned previously, tomorrow I will be in Blackpool for a family christening, and birthday present exchange, hopefully the rest of my family are better at remembering that it is my birthday than I was. I already know I have a new pair of trainers from my parents; my current pair are beginning to show signs of being on their last legs but should just about get me through the Marathon next weekend.

So that’s it for me for a week, I might fit in a couple of short 5k runs in during the week so my body doesn’t forget how to run come next Sunday. However for the most part I will be resting and reading up on all the last minute tips I can find.

Eating Birthday cake counts as carb loading, right?

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Distance: 21.13 km | 13.13 miles
Time: 01:46:28
Average Pace: 04:06 min/km | 06:37 min/mi

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