Mar 09 - When The Going Gets Tough...

[marathondan]

I wouldn’t claim that the second half of that couplet applies, so we’ll leave it at that.

Week 10 of 18

Last night was the 15-miler. I was feeling pretty confident, but it was a stern reminder that this is now the big-time. One thing I’ve noticed abut the less-is-more regime is that I don’t quite fall into the “training as second nature” thing. With only three runs a week, it’s always possible to put it off a day longer, and so an extra effort of motivation is required. However, as we know, running contains many life lessons, and one of them is the price of procrastination. So I knew that I had little option but to strap on the Asics and get out there.

The run went fine, and was completed in a very satisfying 3:54 marathon pace. But as the miles drew to a close there were glimpses of the horror that lies in the final hour of the marathon, and the effort of will that will be required to haul my frame home on the big day. Truly, distance running is mostly mental (a self-evident statement if ever there was one) – it’s all about pushing on through pain, although I suppose your level of conditioning determines how much pain you need to go through. But I felt pretty good afterwards, mentally and physically, and once again appreciated fully the simple pleasures in life – sitting down, removing the accursed woolly hat (which seemed to have gained about a pound in weight), tea and bread and honey, and a hot shower.

The deployment of a bumbag was a success – jellies and mp3 player were happily stowed, and unless I decide to switch to gels then I’ll be using it on race day. Audio distraction was again a must, BBC podcasts serving up rambles on the welfare state, social housing and academic studies of youth culture, juxtaposed nicely with the Radio 1 punk show and Zane Lowe.

The quads fairly burned as I came downstairs this morning. A short cycle ride to the station was a welcome stretch, but I was, shall we say, not my usual jaunty self during the repeated descents into the bowels of the Tube. So far, no sign of the hip pain that plagued me during the last marathon campaign. I’m sure that running straight before bed, and the consequent elevation (not much more than 5 hours last night ) is helping no end.

I also picked up some pink net and elastic at the weekend, so tutu construction will commence shortly….:o

84 miles logged for February. 16 miles next weekend – a week should be just long enough for my brain to wipe out last night’s pain and distil the pleasure memories.

[Nick]

Great going Dan.

This month is the big'un!!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well done Dan ... you're doing great. Are you wearing your RC singlet over the top of the tutu? They would certainly draw attention to each other.

[marathondan]

Honestly darlings, this costume design is such a trial!

I have the orange charity vest, which I may wear. They've sent a medium instead of a large, but I think it's OK, and the skin-tight effect will add to the general grotesqueness. Or, I may get hold of a pink vest for the coordinated look - thus adding non-technical fabric to the horrors of the wig and tutu.

[marathondan]

Week 11 of 18 in the bag, with one short run missed. Not a bad result in retrospect, due to pressures of work, family, and taking on one or too silly things that I perhaps oughtn’t have. The coming week will probably be a similar story.

Saturday night was the 16 miler, banked in 3:57 marathon pace. It became clear to me that it’s now all about the legs. Stamina-wise I was 100% comfortable, but from around 12 miles I could feel every step passing through my quads and hammies. Not stiff or damaged, just every mile piling a bit more soreness on the transmission system. So the real effort was overcoming that… let’s call it discomfort at this stage. Race day, I know, will bring a final hour of pure burning in those muscles. Still, chin up! It’ll be fun!

BBC podcasts again soothed my ears, the highlight this time being the return of the Now Show, and the highlight squared being Mitch Benn’s Barry-White-esque ode to Gail Trimble. Tom Robinson’s Introducing show carried me through the last half hour or so, with, rather unusually for me, some spacey drum ‘n’ bass wafting me up my street and to the front door.

Not so keen now on the fruit jellies – popping one of the sugary tooth-cloggers every mile is getting to be a bit of a chore. Time to order a box of gels methinks.

This week is a step-back, and only 12 miles for the long run. How fantastic that, with only 4 months' application, one can go from dreading a 12-miler to regarding it as a pleasant relaxation. A testament to the human body, but more so, I think, to the human mind.

[Sweder]

Enviable solidity in that report MD. I like the cut of your podcasts' jib; must catch up with the Now Show. My i-plod's on the blink so will have to find alternative means of playback.

[marathondan]

I like the cut of your podcasts' jib; must catch up with the Now Show.

Check out the 13th March edition while it's still online (i.e. today). Mitch Benn on top form again, this time with a stonking impression of Bruce Dickinson .

[marathondan]

Week 13 of 18 complete, with less than a month to go to the big day. Sunday night saw the 18 miler, the longest outing to date, and a distance that I had hitherto matched or exceeded only three times in my life. Due to a step-back and a re-ordered week, it was 15 days since my 16 miler, and I think it showed (in a good way). As the miles rose well into double figures, the usual aches and pains came and went, but the legs definitely felt stronger than a fortnight ago. St Hal of the Singlet knew what he was doing when he put those step-backs into the plan. Once again, Tom Robinson’s eclectic MySpace trawlings floated me home. And once again, the watch showed 3:57 marathon pace, consolidating my confidence for a sub-4 finish – but I’m not taking anything for granted.

In outfit news, I picked up a baby-pink vest (ladies, size 18) for a fiver, which should top off the costume nicely. While I was pounding the streets, Mrs MD put in a sterling effort unpicking all the sequins (yes, sequins), which had irritated my chest a bit during a trial run. (I should point out that they were also fraying the technical top that I was wearing over the aforementioned garment.)

With the start line almost in sight, thoughts begin to turn to race day logistics, visiting the Expo, and all that good stuff. Interesting times ahead.

[El Gordo]

Well done Dan, but hang on -- less than a month to go? 5 weeks, surely, unless I have my own sums wrong for Boston which is a week before. Don't set off a week earlier than you need to.

I agree that it's weird how we start to think of relatively long distances as 'easy' runs after a while. I have the Reading Half next weekend, and am already looking forward to this step-back distance.

We both seem to be reasonably on-track at the moment. Let's hope for no final-month disasters.

[marathondan]

Well done Dan, but hang on -- less than a month to go? 5 weeks, surely, unless I have my own sums wrong for Boston which is a week before. Don't set off a week earlier than you need to. .

Yes, sorry - 5 weeks yesterday. I'm getting a bit giggly and over-excited.

I agree that it's weird how we start to think of relatively long distances as 'easy' runs after a while. I have the Reading Half next weekend, and am already looking forward to this step-back distance.

Looks like you might be in a position to enjoy Reading, which is a fantastic result given what's gone before. I look forward to hearing about your 21 miles - I guess the gym work will have paid off fitness-wise, but your joints must have been unused to such a pounding.

We both seem to be reasonably on-track at the moment. Let's hope for no final-month disasters.

It's a good job that neither of us is superstitious, or you might just have put the mockers on things there. But we laugh at such weak thinking, don't we?

[El Gordo]

It's a good job that neither of us is superstitious, or you might just have put the mockers on things there. But we laugh at such weak thinking, don't we?

[nervous laugh...] Yes indeed.

By the way, you mentioned gels. I can recommend SIS gels. Well, it's all subjective, but they suit me. They are less sweet than the Lucozade Sport ones, but more important, much more liquidy. You don't need water to wash 'em down so they even have a hydration value. I used them on Saturday for the long run, and they certainly did their job (along with some other factors like drinking enough). You can get them in Sweatshop and Tesco and online. I also tried their mix-with-water powder to make an isotonic drink, and really liked the refreshingly sherbetty leon/lime flavour. I'll be buying more.

But I do think that whatever you try, it's hard to find something that will still taste good 15 miles into a marathon.

[marathondan]

Thanks for that. I have limited experience (one marathon) of Squeezy lemon flavour, which seemed OK although a tad gloopy. I might give SIS a try. On race day last time I planned to neck one every half hour; I think I stopped after a while as my stomach was churning a bit, but came back to them towards the end and they saw me through OK.

I'm not training with isotonic drinks, as I don't plan on carrying a drinks belt in the race - it would spoil the line of my skirt. The only thing that's gonna taste good at 15 miles is one those high-carb malt drinks that come in pints. Best save that for the finish methinks.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

So, any photos of the test run clobber? Wanna see those sequins!

[marathondan]

The sequins are in the bin, I'm afraid. Just need to get son's birthday party out of the way tomorrow (25 6-year-olds to entertain ) and then will make a start on the tutu next week. Will share the creative process with you.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

(25 6-year-olds to entertain)

Good God man, are you insane?

[marathondan]

I am now - suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. The kids seemed to enjoy it, apart from the occasional clash of heads or personalities, but my nerves are shot. Like the kids with their third helping of ice cream, we bit off a little more than we could chew.

[SIZE="1"](BTW, that's part of a zombie costume. We don't normally dress him in rags.)[/SIZE]

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

That's one very happy looking zombie!

But you have my sympathies MD ... I understand what you're going through. Although I have successfully deleted the finer details from my memory of my kids' birthdays, the horror and dread remains.