The 2012 Journey by Chect

Top Tip

What happens to our marathon training when it snows?  Good question and this weekend has required us to face this challenge full on.  I have experienced this in the past couple of years and I have a few suggestions.  

1. Go in search of a treadmill and stay indoors for your training.  I've rocked up to some gyms I'm not even a member of because I was travelling at the time and asked to use their treadmill and basically just gave them my marathon story - (why i was doing it and what I needed to do my run - I did offer to pay but each time I was very fortunate and they waived any fee).  Random acts of kindness do exist!

2. Face the outdoors and don your spikes or good trail shoes.  Make sure you wrap up warm though and take care if you do choose this route.  If it is very icy I would not encourange this but I have found where roads and pavements are treated you can get round.

3.  Don't just run - why not swap your session for spell of cross training or a cycle or even a spin class?  Both will benefit you and keep your fitness levels up until you can make it out again.

Did you know ...?

This year you are running the Virgin London Marathon alongside the following celebrities:

• Michel Roux
• Dwight York
• Jonathon Pearce
• Katie Price
• Ben Fogle
• Will Young
• Sophie Rayworth

So Pack your autograph book!

Quote of the week

"A marathon is about the last 6 miles not the first 6" - Liz Yelling Double Olympian talking at the Meet the Experts Day this weekend.

Diary of a running geek   

So this weekend saw the annual "Meet the Experts" day. It's a day of information and inspiration.  I will be using some of the stats in these blogs and add in as much useful advice as I can in the next 11 weeks.  Suffice to say it was entertaining and lived up to its name.  Joining Liz Yelling was Dr Sam Murphy, Andy Dixon (Runners World Editor) and University of Bedforshire Nutritionist expert John Brewer. 

I had the added bonus of meeting one of our runners and finding out first hand why she had signed up and what info she was looking for.  Its always very humbling to meet our runners and share some of the highs and lows of this journey.  So similarly this will be included here.  If you have any questions though do feel free to add a post and I'll do my best to anwer.

Elsewhere running club, swimming, a game of squash (not so good) and a replacement walk provided me with sufficient banter and mileage to keep me going.  Happy days.