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This week for my London Marathon training, was one of those weeks where I had stupidly made myself busy every evening. This meant that running had to be squeezed in where possible. It was a terrible attitude to have towards my training as my runs should now be taking priority but the week snuck up on me unexpectedly. *Slap on the wrist for Hannah*
However, I also took a huge step in my training this week & exceeded the length & distance of any run I’ve ever completed. Prior to my 3rd run of the week, the furthest I had run was 7.5 miles so to make the leap to 10 miles seemed daunting. But I was pleasantly surprised. It took me 1 hour 59 minutes to complete & I am proud to say I didn’t stop once. I also achieved my 10 km personal best (1 hour 12 minutes, I take that). It felt as though I reached a huge goal & even though I have a long way to go I actually feel like this marathon is possible.
Honestly, the biggest enemy on your long runs? Your mind. It’s all about keeping it occupied & entertained. So far, these have become my favourite ways to trick my mind & make the time fly by.
Podcasts
I’ve mentioned this in a previous blog but listening to Podcasts have made the biggest change to my runs. Listening to a subject that really engages you really takes your mind off the distance ahead. Here are a few of my favourites:
Marathon Talk – A weekly podcast discussing all things running.
The Show People Podcast – A bi-weekly Theatre podcast which shines a light on the UK performing arts industry.
David Tennant does a Podcast – David Tennant talks with some of the biggest names on TV, Film & Comedy.
Setting Mini-Goals With Your Fuel
This was the 1st time I’ve tried out fuel during my runs but I thoroughly enjoyed it! My fuel of choice? JELLY BABIES. I don’t really like the idea of energy gels so want to try out a few alternatives & I must say, I loved jelly babies. I filled out up my little pouch before setting off so that I could have 2 each mile & it broke down the run very nicely. At one point it even felt like the Jelly Babies were coming at me too fast so I didn’t need them all in the end.
Don’t Keep Looking At Your Phone
There’s nothing worse than time watching on your phone & feeling each minute drag by. I hated this during Couch to 5k but now that my runs are longer I don’t need to do it as much. When I run I usually go halfway & turn back, so the only important time is that halfway mark. Now that I’m used to running my route I actually have particular points along the way which help me estimate the time I’ve been running for, this way I’m usually pretty close to taking my phone out a few minutes away from the halfway mark & then I know I can just turn back. For newer runners, try figuring out these points along your regular running route as it can really help you break down your journey. Strava is also a great App I recommend using as it tracks your run & calls out your time & distance by miles or kilometres. So it was a busy week in the end but filled with achievement. Here’s a summary!
Week 6 Run 1 – 07/02/2019
Just over 3 miles in 35 minutes. This should have been longer but I crammed my run in during the morning. Note to self: start eating better & don’t fill up every evening by seeing people because you hate morning runs & should be prioritising your training now.
Week 6 Run 2 – 08/02/2019
50 minutes & 4.27 miles. I was incredibly stiff today, not really sure why. It was extremely windy but a great temperature which is always a plus.
Week 6 Run 3 – 10/02/2019
10 MILES! My furthest run so far. I ran without stopping for 1 hour 59 minutes so pretty chuffed. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought & particularly loved trying out Jelly Babies throughout my route. They kept me going. To donate to Hospice UK please click here. Thank you so much to everyone who donates I really appreciate your support and contributions to such an incredible cause.
Do you know anyone running the London Marathon this year? Let me know in the comments below.
