My running diary

[Kelly]

The last long run!  Schedule said 17, but my right foot started to hurt under the arch at around 10 miles, so decided to call it quits and took the shortest route home.  Total 11.43 miles in 2:07:28.

Can't see anything wrong with foot, but it does feel a little tender.  Will rest up for a day or two and see how it goes.

[Kelly]

4 miles at 5.2 mph on the tready.  More of a mental battle than physical.  Foot pain free 

[Kelly]

2.96 miles in 32:06.  Felt really comfortable although faster than it should have been!

[Kelly]

Schedule was for 10 miles at marathon pace.  I did 9.5 in 1:34:40 which works out 20 seconds per mile faster than my target pace.  If I can maintain that pace for another 16.5 miles I will finish in 4:21 

[Kelly]

Gentle 2.64 miles in 29:30 just to keep the legs ticking over. 

[Kelly]

LONDON MARATHON RACE REPORT:

5:30 am alarm goes off.  Leap out of bed and into shower.

5:45 am get dressed and take Garmin off charge

6:00 am breakfast of muesli, yoghurt, orange juice and coffee.

6:30 am get into OH's car for lift to station.

6:32 am car won't start.

6:35 am go and get keys for my car.

6:37 am set off for station.

6:50 am arrive at station to find the 6:58 train that trainline.com said existed didn't.

7:06 am board train for Waterloo.

7:15 am notice Garmin hasn't gone into sleep mode.

7:50 am arrive at Waterloo and walk to Waterloo East

8:10 am board train for Maze Hill

8:15 am notice Garmin still not in sleep mode and battery power down to almost 60%

8:30 am start walk from Maze Hill to Greenwich Park.

8:45 am arrive at Greenwich Park, search for loos!

8:55 am cloudless sky so decide to wear baseball cap

9:00 am dump kit bag on baggage truck.

9:30 am decide on final loo stop but queues are massive so opt for female urinals.  The biggest laugh I've had in ages!

9:40 am enter start pen.

9:45 am race starts.

10:00 am cross start line.  Start timer on Garmin.

For the first few miles I manage to hold my pace at an average of about 10:15 mm which was my target pace.  Just before mile 3 reached first water station and experienced runners cutting in front of me to grab their water.  Something that I had to learn to get used to and deal with for the next 22 miles.

At mile 5 I grabbed a bottle of lucozade and sipped at it for the next 15 minutes.  Noticed my pace had picked up to 10:00 mm.  Felt comfortable so decided to stick with it.

10 miles and another bottle of lucozade.  Noticed Garmin battery was low.

Halfway in 2:12 and still feeling strong.

Another bottle of lucozade at mile 15.  Notice Garmin is dead

Mile 17 pass the RW support stand.

Mile 18 hear familiar voices shouting my name.  Look over my shoulder to see OH, sister and parents.  Quick wave and then back to the job in hand.  Grab another bottle of lucozade at the next stand.

Mile 19 stomach starts to feel uncomfortable.  Think it might be too much luco, so grab water.

Mile 20 feel as if I'm slowing.  Getting very hot but no shade to shelter in.

Mile 21 another bottle of water.  Only drink half, the rest is poured round my neck.

Mile 22 FetchEveryone support stand.  Grab 2 jelly babies.

Mile 23 I tell myself its only 3 miles to go - just round the village at home!

Another bottle of water at mile 24.

Houses of Parliament come into view and I know its nearly over.  Know I'm way off my 4:30 finish but hope I can still do 4:45.  Along Parliament Square and all I want to see is the finish line.  Into Birdcage Walk and pass the last MS Society official cheering point and location of post race reception.  Get a massive cheer and try to pick up my pace again.  Seeing Buck House I know its almost over.  Turn into the Mall and see the 200 metres to go post.  Manage to pick my pace up a little more.  Feel spent but manage to raise my arms as I cross the line with the clock saying 5:02 so I guess my finish time was 4:48

Join queue to have chip removed and suddenly legs feel like jelly and head feels fuzzy.  Grab hold of railing. A few seconds later and I feel OK.  Climb ramp, have chip removed and medal placed round my neck

Go and have finishers photo taken, grab goody bag, then collect kit bag.

Battle my way down through the Meet and Greet area on Horse Guards Road.  Join queue to cross Birdcage Walk.  Eventually get across and enter IMechE building for my post race reception.  First port of call a sports massage.  Then to the reception to meet family.

My mother comes over to congratulate me and tell me the bad news that they'd lost my OH when he hadn't managed to get onto the tube train with them. I knew he didn't have his phone on him.  Thinking he may have headed home to my folks place, I tried phoning but there was no answer.  Fortunately this meant my phone was on the top of my kit bag.  A few minutes later I noticed it flashing (couldn't hear it cos of the noize in the reception).  OH was at Waterloo.

5:00 pm reunited with OH.

5:20 pm  board train at Waterloo

6:10 pm arrive back at parents house exhausted and elated.

8:00 pm father looks up result on net:- Finish time 4:47:33, overall position 22457, 5510th woman, and 3647 in age group (18 -39).

[Kelly]

First post marathon run.  A gentle 4 miles in 43:34.  For the first time in ages I ran round the local woods.  It was great to get off the roads and enjoy something a little more scenic!

[Kelly]

Decided to do tomorrow's run today so that I don't have to get up early!  Nice evening run through the woods with the deer and squirrels!  Also heard a woodpecker but couldn't see it.

4 miles in 41:55.

[Kelly]

Same route as Monday but felt a lot tougher.  Could be due to having done 9 hours at work, or due to the wind, or the fact that I was 2 minutes quicker!

4 miles in 39:39

[Kelly]

Set out with what I thought ws a 5 mile route in my head.  Quite a comfortable run although the bottom of my left foot felt a little tender especially on the uneven ground.  Got with quarter of a mile of home and glanced at my watch only to see it saying that I still had three quarters of a mile to go     so made a bit of a detour.  Final distance 4.94 miles in 51:46.

[Kelly]

Another repeat of the 4 mile route.  Had a few niggles for the first mile or so - outside of right foot and ball of left foot.  Otherwise felt quite comfortable.  Completed in 41:32.

[Kelly]

Set out expecting a wet run but the rain stopped by the time I'd gone half a mile!  Did 4.95 miles in 52:17.  Left foot hurt a little which I think was due to my shoe being a bit loose.

[Kelly]

Was meant to do 6 miles today but wasn't feeling my best.  Opted for my 3 mile route knowing that if I felt OK I could do the second lap.  After a mile it felt as if my heart was racing.  My legs also felt heavy.  Then at about 1.5 miles it started raining.  Got to 2.5 miles and decided that one lap was all I was doing.  Still, better than not going at all.

3.03 miles in 31:28

[Kelly]

Decided to run this evening rather than getting up early tomorrow morning.  Plan was 'steady' (read fast) 5 miles.

Stepped out the door and noticed battery was low on Garmin.  Went back in and gave it 10 minutes charge just to be on the safe side.  Set out at what felt quite fast and tough.  About half way through my calf muscles started to ache.  Thought momentarily about cutting the run short but carried on.  At about 4 miles I wanted the loo.  Visions of the runner in the marathon with excrement up her back and down her legs kept me going as I knew it was quicker to continue running than to stop and walk.  Took a few shortcuts so the run finished as 4.79 miles in 45:40.

[Kelly]

Went out for a slow 4 miles.  Ended up being a bit quicker than planned finishing in 39:54.  Felt comfortable though except for the bowel problem at 3 miles.  Don't know why evening running is affecting me this way