The Day of Realisation - I want it all back: London Marathon and my 'awakening' by Brownie1984

Right. Having started this blog back at the start of December, blogging fell off the radar after entry number one. Sorry. As I have loads of work to do, this is the final thing on my list I can use as procrastination, so here comes the long awaited update. Since that entry, I went for a few more runs, then the festive season truly hit. I'd say mid way through December. Parties. Food. Drink. More food. No running. Oops. Then it was Christmas and New Year, where I had a truly wonderful time relaxing at home on the Wirral and then up in Skipton. More partying in Fife for New Year, where I destroyed whatever was left of my fitness (and liver) but vowed that come January 4th, my official 16 week training plan would commence without a hitch.

Low and behold, training commenced. I even went for a warm up run a day early as I knew that the first run would hurt after all that extravagance. It did. Push on through though. Another run on the 4th. Then snow. Lots of it. Begrudgingly I joined a gym to keep the training going during the bad weather, thankfully only the local leisure centre so that I'm not tied into a daft contract and can cancel whenever I want at no cost. So I've been running in the gym. Not only that I've been working out on the machines (did I mention I hate the cross trainer), doing weights and lots of floor exercises, plus I even went to a killer class or two. Turns out this gym membership thing isn't too bad.

I am SO glad that the snow has now gone though, its difficult to do long runs and stay motivated on the treadmill. I had my first outdoors run since the 4th yesterday and it felt amazing. Relatively easy too. Just over 10k in 58 minutes, a lovely run from Chiswick to Hammersmith along the river, back North to Acton and around the top to loop back home. That 58minutes included stopping at crossings and traffic lights a couple of times, so all in all it felt like a good pace. Easy. Quite enjoying this training.

To help, I've also signed up to 'Cold Turkey' in work, a Wellness initiative to help with post Christmas weight loss, in a team of 6. Not stepped on the scales yet since my first weigh in. If it wasn't for the competitor in me, I actually wouldn't care. This all feels great!

For those of you that really want to know what runs I've been doing, see below. I promise to update this at least once a week from now on.

Week 1: Pre-week 3 mile run, very very slow...

1. Monday 4th - 2.17miles in 20 mins.
2. Wednesday 6th - 4 miles in 37 minutes.
3. Thursday 7th - 1 mile in 8 minutes, plus 15 minutes on the bike plus a BLT class 1hr of pain
4. Saturday 9th - 3 miles plus floor work
5. Sunday 10th - 3 miles

Week 2

1. Tuesday 12th - 4 miles
2. Wednesday 13th - 5 miles in 50 minutes, plus bike and weights
3. Didn't do anything the rest of the week (a few distractions...)

Week 3

1. Monday 18th - 3 miles in 32 minutes varying gradient from 2% to 10% on treadmill, plus floor exercises and weights
2. Tuesday 19th - first outdoor run in ages! 6.4 miles in 58 minutes - bliss... Fastest pace up to 8.3minute miles
3. Wednesday 20th - hit the gym as it was raining, did plan to run around Hyde Park but my running partner bailed... 2.2miles in 20 minutes at 2.5% gradient, cross trainer, weights and floor exercises..

That's it so far. Got a couple more small runs to do this week then an 8 miler on Sunday morning. Fingers crossed...