After the last untrained for one I decided to not train for another one! My life is not conducive to being able to train properly - I’ve accepted that. But what I can do is do long runs at the weekends and mimic a training plan that way. So after the last one I gradually built up my distance again and found myself running the fastest 30k I’d done, finishing in well under three hours. I mean that leaves me over an hour to do a further 12km. Surely this time I could do a marathon in under four?
But it was not to be. Two weeks to go in the taper* down period I injured my knee stepping over the damn dog at home (she always lies in the way, doorways, etc; must be a weird guarding thing). And it did not recover.
Since I’d already mentally commited to it, I took the last two weeks really easy and on the day used painkillers, ibruprofen gel and a knee support to see me through.
I actually, weirdly, managed my fastest time yet. Four hours ten minutes. And also my fastest 30k. That’s despite the second half of it feeling shocking and even having to run/walk during the last couple of km.
Probably, even though this is my fifth one, I still shouldn’t be doing them: I’m not good enough yet at keeping my pace up over the distance. Cutting myself some slack on this one though because of my knee. Then again, though, the only way to get better at running longer distances is by running longer distances.
Next year!
* - Since I can’t train properly I shouldn’t try to follow a taper down. It only really works if you run shorter distances at a higher intensity. My intensity just dropped off