Week 8 - a loaf and a half

I am now at the half way point in both my marathon training and fundraising and everything is just about on track, having clocked up 270 training miles already (just another 270 to go!) and nearly £1,000 in sponsorship. 

A big thank you to Ste, Will, Eliot and Emily who all sponsored me this week after I set up a facebook group to drum up support. I've also got a poster and collection tin in the gym at fitness first so hopefully that will help raise funds too.

Ben has been back in Leeds this week after his operation and is on the road to recovery so that is positive. I popped round to visit on Tuesday which also happened to be pancake day (yum!) and Friday night for a Sunday roast, squeezing in a few 10k's and a couple of gym sessions during the week to burn it all off.

Today I'm playing in a cup semi-final for Crossgates WMC before running a half-marathon at race pace tomorrow so I was more than grateful for the homemade loaf of bread my dad made for me last night to keep me going (see pic)!

23rd Feb - 1st Mar

Mon: Rest

Tues: AM: 55 mins steady (10 km)

Wed: AM: gym 1 hr PM: 45 mins quick (10 km)

Thurs: AM: gym 1 hr 

Fri: AM:  60 mins steady (12 km)

Sat: Football (semi-final)

Sun: half marathon at race pace (21 km)

Weekly total: 53 km - training total: 431 km

Week 7 - let's off road!

I had a bit of a slow start this week, doing a couple of 20 minute treadmill sessions with 3 minute sprint intervals but not getting out on to the road until Thursday. I made up for it though with 10 hill sprint intervals in an hour session followed by a quick 10 km on Friday night. On Saturday we finally had a game of football after three weeks off because of the weather and managed to grind out a 2-1 win against a title rival on a windy, boggy pitch.

My legs felt really heavy today and I was half-tempted to have a day off but Gav text to say he was off for a run around Temple Newsam so I joined for a ten mile run round the woods which was muddy but good fun. I might have to invest in some proper fell running trainers for next time though! Next week I am going to have a break from the gym (well maybe the odd session) and concentrate on the running but with a couple more rest days.

16th - 22nd Feb
Mon: AM gym 1 hr

Tues: AM: gym 45 mins - PM: gym 1.5 hrs (5 km intervals)

Wed: AM: gym 1.5 hrs (5 km intervals)

Thurs: PM: 60 mins hill sprints x10 (10 km)

Fri: AM: gym 1.5 hrs (5 km intervals) PM: 45 mins fast (10 km)

Sat: Football

Sun: 16 km off road

Weekly total: 46 km - training total: 378 km

Week 6 - get well soon

This week started badly with confirmation that Ben had broken his hip which required an operation on Monday morning. He has now started physio on it to regain the movement and should be able to leave hospital in about a week so he can come back to Leeds and recuperate. I have been speaking to him daily and he is in good spirits and looking forward to coming home when he is fit enough to be discharged.

Running wise it has been quiet a steady week. Not as much distance as the week before but more quality in the form of interval training and speed work. Football was also called off again because of the weather so I could get the long run out of the way on Saturday (a steady 14 miles) which I did with my mate Gav who loves running so much he plans to run a three peaks race the day before the London Marathon (yes, he is completely insane). This week I will be doing more hill work and hopefully getting a game of footie in before a race pace half-marathon on Sunday.

9th - 15th Feb

Mon: PM: Rest

Tues: AM: gym 45 mins - PM: 40 mins intervals (5 x 3 mins fast - 9 km)

Wed: AM: gym 1 hrs PM: 1 hr steady (12 km)

Thurs: AM: gym 1.5 hrs

Fri: AM: gym 1.5 hrs (5 km) PM: 45 mins fast (10 km)

Sat: 1 hrs 55 mins steady (22 km)

Sun: Rest

Weekly total: 48 km - training total: 332 km

Week 5 - bad news, bad weather

We had some really bad news today as we found out that Ben is in hospital in Dundee with a suspected broken leg after falling on Saturday afternoon so we're just waiting to find out if he is OK and when we can bring him down to Leeds to recover.

This week's training plan had to be revised due to the large amounts of snow that brought most of the country to a standstill. I waited until Tuesday night before braving the conditions but quickly realised it wasn't too bad running in the snow. It also meant that football was off again on Saturday so I did my long run early - running to Bramham and back for my first 18 miler! This time I had a couple of drink stops and felt pretty good throughout. Due to my training plan constantly changing, I am now going to update it at the end of the week rather than at the beginning.

2nd - 8th Feb

Mon: PM: 1.5 hrs gym

Tues: AM: gym 1 hr - PM: 60 mins steady (12 km)

Wed: Rest

Thurs: AM: gym 1.5 hrs PM: 60 mins steady (12 km)

Fri: AM: 50 mins steady (10 km)

Sat: 2 hrs 20 mins steady (29 km)

Sun: 60 mins steady (10 km)

Weekly total: 73 km - training total: 284 km

Week 5 - back in the groove

I had a really good week this week having recovered from last week's cold, running 75 km from Sunday to Friday including a hill sprint session which was hard work but enjoyable at the same time. Football was cancelled on Saturday so that gave me a much needed rest day but the Sunday run wasn't great - trying to run at race pace in the wind and snow flurries with heavy legs - I now know while they call them 'the hard miles'!