A Week of Firsts

So, this is the FIRST week of my 16 week training block for the Chester Marathon. I was supposed to run it last year but picked up a hip injury getting out of a car! Then of course I was supposed to run the London Marathon this year but fell during the National Cross and damaged a nerve in my leg, which put an end to any sort of training at all for a while.

Monday
Another FIRST, a rest day on day one. This was due to having been to the Download festival the day before, and to having to see the GI doc. It just seemed wise.

Tuesday
A steady 7.5 mile run. I hadn't run since Friday's night's 10 mile race and everything felt clunky and weird for the first few miles. Also I was having some unwanted GI issues in the form of blood that really, really shouldn't be there. Typical, it would start the day AFTER I saw the gastroenterologist.

Wednesday
The bleeding was worse, which was preying on my mind before the race. Notts Summer League race series. Another FIRST. For the FIRST time ever I was FIRST lady at one of these league events. I've won the whole series before, but never an individual race. And afterwards the bleeding had stopped. Cured by racing a stupidly hilly race! I didn't actually realise I was winning it at any point. I knew I was in second place and that my clubmate Nikki was storming of ahead. I was concerned with staying ahead of the Worksop and Newark runners who are my main rivals for the League title. The pace was slow as I still had Friday in my legs and the hills were killer. The Worksop girl was on my shoulder at one point, but I managed to pull away. I just wasn't sure how much of a gap I'd put into her. I threw myself down the final hill to the finish line and was handed the no. 1 token. Instead of being pleased I was annoyed with Nikki for dropping out! It's a team competition as well.

Thursday
7 treadmill miles split into two runs around Body Pump class. FIRST time I'd done that on a Thursday and also the FIRST time I'd done it for about 6 weeks. That would come back to haunt me for the next two days! There was a guy in the class who wore his hoodie zipped right up to the neck and with the hood up for the whole class. As we'd say up North, what a divvie! By the end he was down to puny weights and grimacing as if he were lifting 5 times the weight.

Friday
Oh my God, DOMS! Somehow I managed to run in the evening. It was supposed to be 10 miles but I misremembered the route and it was nearly 11. Oops. I was suffering with acid reflux during the whole run, then with heartburn all night. Do I have any Gaviscon in the house? No, of course not!

Saturday
The FIRST ever Gedling parkrun, which is handily just 1.5 miles from my house. That is the hilliest and hardest course I have ever run. I knew that of course, I've run in there before, but I hadn't attempted to run quickly. Anyway, I was FIRST lady, so I temporarily hold a course record. It was really slow though, so it won't last long!

Sunday
FIRST proper long run since February. In the context of marathon training I don't consider anything under 18 miles to be 'long'. I had to do an out and back route due to a cycling event taking place. I had wanted to avoid the nature reserve but had no choice. In June it's full of obstacles and hazards in the forms of families with children, dogs and bikes, elderly birdwatchers who dawdle around on the paths taking up too much space, and beasties. Lots of beasties. I think I ate about a hundred of them, and a good few more were stuck to my T-shirt. Bleurgh. Anyway, it wasn't exactly easy, but 18 miles bagged.

So 60.5 miles bagged. Reading back over my blogs from the last marathon I actually ran (London 2014) I'd say I'm in a slightly better position fitness wise, but I was battling snow back then, rather than midgies!