Training for Virgin London Marathon 2019, from 10K

What do you do on long run day when you can't run? Elliptical machine!! I have a hate/love/hate relationship with this machine now. I am ever so grateful to have it, don't get me wrong, but as I spend more time on it I have several trains of thought, firstly, I hate it, its so basic, not enough variation on it, wish I had one with an incline, and more data, you can never have enough data! It might make using it less boring. I love it also, as its keeps my running muscles going whilst protecting my calf. I also hate that it makes my quads burn, and my hamstrings when going backwards. I love that the burn means I am getting a better workout and stronger legs. I hate that it faces a wall and theres not much to look at. I love it because it works a my arms, back, chest, core, glutes alongside my legs. When training consistently on the same machine, technique is important, but so is variation, not only does it relieve the boredom, but it also stops your training reaching a plat...

Saturday comes around so quickly, thankfully, I do love Park Run day Since I am carrying this injury still, and am still trying to ease back into park run, and after having to walk from mile 3.4, I decided not to try it this week, I just can not afford any set backs now until after the marathon. With all this in mind I decided to volunteer this week and doubled up as 3rd corner marshal and photographer, double points! I love volunteering at Great Lines and try to be as upbeat, and encouraging as possible, there's nothing like a few positive remarks whilst running to give me a boost, so I hope my, sometimes sarcastic comments help someone at least. In reality, they are probably thinking "shut up" like you do when you are 10 miles into a half marathon and someone says "not far now!!" After park run, our running club was hosting a C25K programme, now called 'Park bench to park run'. Its week 3, Warm up, walk 1 minute, run 3 minutes (x 6 repeats...

My plan says today is a rest day, physio says, no rest days, a rest day is an opportunity to work on strength!!! so, non run days are leg work out days. Run days are for core. Here is what I did today 11 heel dips/raises on the step (half of what I normally do!!!) legs felt so tired today 25 hamstring curls with weights on my ankles 25 calf resistance stretches 25 clams with resistance band 12 lunge jumps 12 forward lunges 30 sumo squats 15 donkey kicks on each leg (with ankle weights) 15 side lunges STREEEEEEETCHES!!! calves, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, glutes and another one i do not know the name of  😉 seriously thinking about getting a weights bench

I found this pic after my workout, but I sure hope the claims are correct Today my plan say to run 10 minutes at an easy pace, 20 at threshold pace then cool down with  another 10 minutes easy. Sounds simple right? Well, I can assure you, it is not on an elliptical machine. The first 10 minutes are ok, quads burn a little but its ok. Heart rate is at 120, excellent, right where i need it to be, I think. Then comes threshold, which is around 160-170 heart rate for me. OMG, my quads are screaming, I actually feel like im going at the speed of a hamster in its wheel, glance at my heart rate, on my Apple watch, 138!!! WTH, that can't be right, I'm sweating like im in a sauna, my quads feel like that might catch fire, my arms are going like the clappers. I know this because I can hear my bingo wings slapping around like the beat to a techno song (ex fat girl to not so fat girl problems ;) ) and still my heart rate isn't going too high. Now, luckily for me, my elliptical...

Rest day, yay. When all the pressures of training, or, in my case, worrying about injuries and if they are getting better, worse or staying the same. Rest day, however, does not mean you can stop thinking about the marathon, or the training, or the fundraising, or even your diet plan for the next gazillion days. Studying books, recipes, online pages, figuring out if the calorie intake is less than the required nutrition you body is going to crave, especially as the miles start ramping up.  My legs, or in particular, my calf is still sore and tight, though not as tight as it was. It seems two days off from running/eliptical is enough. I am still walked my mileage, my watch didn't seem this was important enough to save and pitched a fit on me when I tried to retrieve the data. However, I did enjoy my rest day, and those recipes had to be found and worked out, as did the revision of my training plan. Plus, I am a housewife and mother, so a rest day isn't quite lay...

I went to Park Run today, full of optimism. Today was our CC (club champs) first event, a 5K at our local Saturday morning at the great Lines. Although it was CC I had no intention of going for a PB, I knew my calf was not up to it, so a slow plod with Lesley and Bentley was on the cards We set off at a very slow pace, our course is 2 laps, starting off running around the football pitch, followed immediately by and uphill (locally, and joking called "The Alps''), then on to the rest of the course, which is somewhat kinder. The first lap was going OK, I can tell my fitness has dropped off, breathing seems hard and laboured and I developed a stitch, but pushed on through it, I knew it would go eventually if I concentrated on my breathing. Second lap, as we reached the top of the hill I felt my calf tighten again 😢 I am so frustrated and gutted, in a dilemma, do I go physio again? or keep rolling it, and hope for the best. I think I am going to have to sto...