London Marathon - No problem!.........I'll just blog it. by RichEvans

08/04/09 Completed a 8.32 mile run in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 30 seconds

After recovering from a cold, cough and sore throat I finally got trainers back on and went for a run. After all my previous good work I was a bit worried it had all got to waste, so I set myself the challenge of running to work. The distance is only just under eight and a half miles, but it is the first relatively long run I have been on since my illness and the first time I have run to work. Straight away I was out of my comfort zone, the streets where busy, the traffic was heavy and I was tired right from the start, but if there is one thing training over the last couple of months has taught me, it’s to persevere even when all I want to do is go home and have a nice cup of tea.

Running is a series of peaks and troughs, and you just have to reassure yourself that even though you may be in a trough at the moment, a peak should be just around the corner – quite literally. And so it was yesterday. After four and a half miles I was confronted by a steep hill, which really took it out of me, but once at the top I slipped into a steady jog and the rest of the journey went with relative ease.

With a long bank holiday weekend ahead and only just over 2 weeks to go to the marathon, I really have no excuse but to put in a really long run this weekend. I always intended to do a 20 mile run 2 weeks before, but I think this would be pushing it way too far. I will aim to match the 15 and a half mile I have already done, and see how I feel at the time. If only I had started training earlier……………..