May I Have This Dance?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I'm thinking of abandoning my water belt for my next organised marathon. I certainly didn't need it in Brighton, where all manner of refreshment was thrust in my face on the way round. It's a comfort to carry fluid but undoubtedly it adds to my burden (plus the damn belt rubbed my back raw).

Never used one, myself. (Although my stick of rock did have a bottle holder.) So long as there's a water station every half hour or so, you're generally OK I think - unless it's a really hot day.

My main concern is carrying my own fuel for the marathon (not using gels - staying with the chia/pinole things), so I'm thinking I may as well carry my own liquids as well. In fact I really need to as my plan is to consume one "fuel ball" every 15 minutes, which needs to be washed down with electrolytes. More testing to be done before race day, but that's the plan at this stage.

But generally, yeah, for half maras I wouldn't bother.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

It's a real privilege to be alive and one of the greatest feelings of being alive is at the end of a good run. Today's effort was my intervals workout of 10x800m sprints, which I completed quite comfortably, and then the cool down run left me feeling just fantastic.

I tell you, if you've never tried intervals, or not done them for a while, give them a crack - they are sensational for giving you that endorphin rush. Woo yeah.

16.3km 10x800m @ 5:00/km pace + warm up & cool down, 1h39:00

YTD: 714.9km

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Buggered. Really good long run at a good pace today, and giving me an 80km week. Pity I don't have a race to run anytime soon

33.12km 3h18m

YTD: 748.0km

[Bierzo Baggie]

That’s a lot of kms MLCM. I´d struggle to run 30km+ at the moment unless I combined it with some walking. You should try to run a marathon in training one day! Or are you saving yourself for the big day..?.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

You should try to run a marathon in training one day! Or are you saving yourself for the big day..?.

I've considered it, BB, and I still might. It would certainly be a cheaper option than a race - the cheapest marathons here start at about A$80 (€62) while the big city races typically about A$130 (€101).

Meanwhile, I have an injury to report Luckily (in an Orwellian sort of way) it's not my own, but rather close to home and a bit of a warning. My 20 y.o. niece is currently in the U.S.A. having earned herself a sports scholarship to one of the big colleges there to further her career in softball and javelin, at which she is especially gifted. We all thought a career on the professional U.S. softball circuit awaited her, but she's just torn her throwing shoulder muscles bad enough to require surgery (prompty undertaken and paid for by the college, which is excellent) which however will put her out of action for twelve months.

You can imagine what an interruption like that does to your career, and it's a reminder that over-training can easily lead to surgery. It's a fine line.

Not that I'm anywhere near over-training, but given I've been largely injury-free for many months now, it's easy to get complacent and ramp things up rather too much, particularly in the speed department. So I'm being careful. And even though last week saw a big increase in mileage for me, I was ready for it, and 24 hours later I feel really good - no soreness at all.

Yesterday's long 'un was also some fine tuning in the endurance fuel recipe for me. I've reduced the size and shape of my chia/pinole biscuits (which are now balls), and I eat one of those every 15 minutes washed down with an electrolyte drink. I guess the real test will be when I hit those distances beyond 36km, but over 33km it worked brilliantly. Apart from reducing fatigue significantly, chomping on one of those little suckers every quarter hour helped break the monotony. Good gear.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A bad run to report. In hindsight it's perhaps not surprising - I'd had a hard few days at work whilst battling a lurgi, and our beloved dog Bella died unexpectedly on Monday, which put a downer on us as well.

I'm doing my best to stay motivated however - I've just finished re-reading Christopher MacDougall's "Born To Run", which was even better the second time around, and am now half-way through a re-read of Lance Armstrong's "It's Not About The Bike" which certainly puts all the problems of life into proper perspective and really makes you want to just get out there and give life a red hot go. Well, as even Armstrong found out, there are days when your body just won't handle it. I put in an ugly hour and a half but by then just sort of petered unexpectedly to a stop and thought to myself "well, I guess that's it" - I just couldn't think of a good reason to go on any further. I felt achey and miserable and tired and just wanted a hot shower and a decent breakfast, so that's what I did.

Never mind, next time will be better.

For those wondering, our Bella, a lovely Border Collie/Labrador cross died a little short of her 11th birthday from autoimmune disease, which struck quickly and savagely. The vet summised she'd had the disease for some time, but it was largely dormant until striking suddenly and lethally at her kidneys and liver. She had a short but largely happy life and we miss her heaps.

14.39km, 1h32:35 bleah

YTD: 762.4km

[Sweder]

Sorry abouy the run, but much more so about the loss of your dear friend Bella.

[Antonio247]

Sorry about Bella´s death and your run, MLCM. Often it is necessary to take a break in running to restart more motivated.

Best of luck!