A bit behind. But only a bit...

Sunday - Buckland 6

Distance: 6.02 miles
Time: 57m02s

Tuesday - Milton 3½

Distance: 3.41 miles
Time: 32m19s

Having got off to a great start on New Year's day, I was all set to start the 20-week training plan I'd written - revised from the 16-week plan I used for last year's London Marathon. I'd added an extra Half (Liverpool in March - tbc), and doubled up three of the early weeks. Not strictly necessary, but I want to beat my 4½ hour marathon time, and squeezing in a few extra weeks of training seemed the best way to help me achieve this.

Then the snow turned up. And the ice. And more snow. So the gentle start I'd been hoping for with the odd run in London at the beginning of January soon melted away. I just wish the snow had. Then again, when the snow did go, a load of it turned to water. I'd thought of running 8 miles at the weekend, but when driving back to Stanford via the single track Park Lane I discovered it to be under water, and I drove through one of the deepest floods I've ever been through. I'd wanted to double check how big the puddles were, as this road is a 2 mile stretch of my regular loop and I'd spotted it was rather wet earlier in the week. Puddles were an understatement.

So, a new plan. I decided on an out & back route instead - heading towards Charney Bassett - and retracing my steps when I'd reached half way. The downside of this is that halfway can easily be a movable object, and it became apparent on mile 1 that I didn't feel up to 8 miles. At Gainfield crossroads therefore, I turned left instead of right, and chose to run to Buckland instead. That's about 3 miles, making 6 for the run. And to be honest that felt quite enough for my first run in over 2 weeks. Had I been able to do my normal 8 miles, it wouldn't have occurred to me to cut it short. is that a good thing, or would I have overdone it?

Monday, therefore, is now Day 1. Of my new revised 18-week plan. I've jettisoned a couple of the doubled-up weeks. Monday calls for a gentle 25 minute jog. I opt for a rest day. I'm still feeling a bit stiff after Sunday's 6 miler, and am regretting not forcing myself into the gym last week to at least get the edge of the unfitness that's crept up on me over the last month.

Tuesday and I'm determined to get back on plan. i can try out the refurbished showers & changing room at work and get out for a 40 minute jog. The only trouble is that it's been a while since I've been out for a 4 mile lunchtime lap, and I forget the route! I set off along the main road towards the centre of Milton park, omitting the ½ mile lap of the block I usually start with. Oh well, I'll have to tack it onto the end... The run itself doesn't feel much better than Sunday to begin with, but about half way, I get into my stride and autopilot takes over. On mile 3, however, I start to tire, and decide the lack of regular running recently has caught up with me. I don't want to push it, so I skip the extra loop of the block I'd need to clock up the full 40 minutes, and stop early.

So, ok, I'm a bit disappointed that a) I've missed out on 2 weeks' running b) I've had to reduce my training plan and c) I've let my fitness wain in the meantime. I start to feel annoyed that when I was in training for the London Marathon - I didn't actually just do 16 weeks - as in fact I'd already done 20+ weeks beforehand, building up my strength & stamina gradually over the 9 months up until April. This year I didn't run at all over Christmas... why not?

So hence this rather rambling blog entry. I need to get my positive vibes buzzing again. I don't need to look back at what I haven't done, I need to look forward to what I'm going to do. I have time to get up to full fitness. The base of miles I ran throughout 2009 is much larger than the previous year. Ok, so I'm not quite where I wanted to be, but I'm not far off either. Thursday will see a 35 minute lunchtime run (snow permitting!), and a trip to the gym.

And now I'm on a roll of enthusiasm - I may even revise my training plan again - to rather radically bring it forward by 1 day. That way I get to run my LSR on a Saturday instead of a Sunday. I can then incorporate a swimming session into the following rest day and get back to doing circuit training on a Monday (which I can't do at the moment as it's too energetic on the day following a long run). I need to include some flexibility & resistance training into my plan too.

Oh, and doing my LSR on a Saturday also means I'll be free to go to London and cheer on all the friends that I know are doing this year's London marathon :o)