March

[marathondan]

3 weeks to go (how did that happen?)

Polished off the 20 miler last night in light / steady rain. There were tweaks and twinges all over - hammies, hips, ankles, lower back - but I finished in good shape and with still more in the tank. A shade over 20 miles, in bang on 4 hours marathon pace.

The usual audio drill applied: switching to uplifting tunes for the last hour or so, when I transitioned from the "controlled" phase to the "hanging on" phase. But after three hours slog, I was still fighting the urge (and occasionally giving in to it, in truth) to play air guitar and punch the air, such is the power of this bizarre, tribal phenomenon that we call music.

Current must-listen podcast is Marc Maran's WTF. Swinging erratically between trawling the underbelly of US popular culture, deconstructing life's biggest issues, and recounting tales from the comedy circuit, he mixes monologue with interviews from his LA garage. He might just be the ultimate surrogate late-night drinking buddy. I recommend a download - try episode 55 or 56. Parental advisory.

But back to the running. I always find it strange when footballers are said to have "declared themselves fit" for such and such a game. Um, shouldn't we check with the physio? But having bagged last night's run, I hereby declare myself fit for a conventional sub-4 marathon.

Trouble is, I'm actually planning to run a sub-5 marathon in a gorilla suit. I still have a slight concern that running at 25% slower pace will throw out my gait, causing untold agonies, and that staying on my feet for an hour longer than usual will destroy my energy levels. But that's all part of the challenge, eh?

Taper here I come...