Marathon training wk3 – Back to the grind

This week was marathon training week 3 and it was very much a case of getting back to the grind after the PB joys of Gloucester half marathon.

The week started off with a rest day on the Monday, (the week actually began on Sunday with an 8.5 mile comfortable run but I swapped that for Gloucester half marathon), which was actually a little annoying as my legs could have done with an easy recovery run and subsequent stretching.

When I say rest day, I was at work and on my feet for 12 hours so my legs didn’t really get much of a rest but I did do a bit of foam rolling before I went to bed. My legs normally recover pretty quickly after runs but the effort I put in the day before had taken its toll.

Tuesday was an easy 3 mile run at around 9min mile pace, this was the recovery run I needed to do 24hrs earlier but because I was determined to stick to the plan I refused to move my runs around which was a mistake but it is what is and as I’ve said before, this is my first time following a plan so I’m kind of learning as I go.

Windy run along the seafront

Wednesday was the other reason I should have moved my runs forward a day as it meant having get up early to do what was supposed to a fast paced 5.5 mile run at 6.47-7.06min mile pace. That pace didn’t happen, I averaged 7.27 which I wasn’t too surprised with. My legs were still recovering from Sundays effort, it was a fasted run and I was going onto nights that night so I would normally have been in bed most of the day. But I got it done which was the main thing and the strong winds didn’t help much either but there’s nothing I can do about the weather!

Thursday was a much needed rest day. Normally when I finish a night shift I will run with the dog but with no run on the plan it was nice to just take him for a quick walk and get to bed earlier than usual.

Fast paced run smashed

Friday was another fast paced 5.5 mile run and I was initially torn as to whether to do it straight after my last night shift or to get up early and get it done before Steph went to work. I chose the latter and I’m glad I did as despite not eating before it again I smashed it with a pace of 6.46min/mile. The only downside was then having to rush to get Isabelle from school and rushing home for removal men who didn’t even turn up. That pretty much wiped out what energy I had left that day!

Saturday was the last rest day of the week, although I had tentatively planned to do Parkrun but Steph was working again so that was out of the question. In the end it was a nice chilled day with Poppy & Isabelle playing snakes & ladders and making homemade strawberry milkshakes! Because I sacrifice a lot of family time for my running, its nice to make the most of days I can spend with my girls, it was just a shame Steph was working.

Today (Sunday) was a planned 11 mile run and this is the type of run I would describe as the unglamorous side of running. Its been raining ALL day and as I had to get my run in in the morning, (Spurs were on in the afternoon so my run can’t clash with that haha!), I had no choice but to brave the elements.

Getting soaked during a long wet run

Running in the rain doesn’t really bother me that much but I always prefer to start my run with no rain and if it starts while I’m out then fine but mentally getting up for a run when its already tipping it down can be tough. The run itself went well with my pace of 7.49 right where it needed to be with the planned pace between 7.24-817min miles so I was happy with that.

The unglamorous side of running that I just mentioned is the result of running for an hour and a half in the rain, you don’t just get wet, you get soaked! So much so I had to wring out my socks and gloves! But its these runs that build you up and get you ready for the races and PB’s which is, in my opinion, the more glamourous side of running but you can’t do one without the other!

So the pace and distance are both starting to increase, lets see how I handle the coming weeks of tougher running.