Good morning everyone.
For those of you who haven’t checked the hoddle these last few weeks, then you might’ve missed that I’ve begun documenting my training for my next marathon, which is on 4 April. The goal is to smash by personal best and see just how close to a 3-hour marathon I can get (pretty close, I think).
The whole point of this is to almost document my anxiety from all this training. It’s a big commitment to run a marathon. The worst of winter has come and gone, although it could return this week. Still, we’re counting down the remaining weeks until race day.
(Catch up on Weeks 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 here)
Week 16:
This is it - it’s race week! After months of training in difficult conditions and hundreds of miles run, it is nearly time for the day of the marathon.
I’m in my second week of the two-week taper feeling pretty good. I hardly was able to run from Tuesday through Saturday because of work and travel, but I did a nice Sunday run to remind myself that I’ve still got plenty of conditioning in me. Plus I try to remind myself of some of all the running I’ve done. That includes:
Four 16-mile runs
Three 18-mile runs
Two 20-mile runs
One 20-mile run
All but one of those runs were done in challenging conditions: sub-freezing temperatures, rain, snow and blustery winds. It was the most brutal training blocks I’ve endured.
That gives me a little bit of confidence heading into this weekend. It’s going to be raining all week in New Hampshire, including on Satuday, and the temperatures are going to dip.
The anxiety is beginning to build, so I’m very much focusing on resting the rest of the week (especially to make up for the lack of sleep from last week). So I’ve got some easy runs in store, plus I’m going to spend a lot more time reading.
Essentially: Less running, more sitting.
Sunday: 12 miles
This might’ve been about two miles more than I should have done, but the lack of running the five days before this really got to me. I wanted to feel like I could run again, so I took it very, very easy.
The hardest part of the run was actually dodging all the tourists around the cherry trees. Perhaps that’s just practice for this weekend.
Monday: Rest
Today’s plan: Sleep, relax. That’s all I’ve got, plus some light stretching.
Tuesday: 3 mile recovery
Easy run. Not shooting for any records here.
Wednesday: 4 miles
This will also be a pretty easy run. I’m considering breaking the run down like this:
Just to get me remembering what running at MP is like
Thursday:3 miles easy
Another very easy run just to get some fresh air before my flight to New Hampshire.
Friday: 2 mile shakeout
There’s lots of debate over how much to run a day before a marathon (if at all). I like to run a little bit. I think a shakeout will be necessary the day after a flight, too, just to loosen up the legs. Then there’ll be some stretching and lots of time watching television.
Saturday: RACE DAY
The big day - get excited !!! There’ll be a full hoddle to come later this week!
Fitzie’s track of the day: Runnin’ Down A Dream, by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
And now for your links:
Alasdair Gold: “Roberto De Zerbi and the tricky new Tottenham manager scenario after Igor Tudor exit”
BBC: “Spurs want De Zerbi to be new permanent boss”
The Athletic ($$): “Tottenham had to part ways with Igor Tudor, but this shambles goes far beyond just him”
Matt Law: “Tottenham Hotspur part company with Igor Tudor”
The Independent: “Next Tottenham manager: Six options to replace Igor Tudor”