Week 10 - staying the course

I have been busy again this week, running my own charity bookies at work to raise over 100 quid for Comic Relief and get everyone excited about the Cheltenham Festival (one of our clients is a leading bookmaker so it is classed as important research!) The most successful punter over the 4-day festival won a bottle of champagne and the coveted TBH Top Cheltenham Tipster trophy (see picture - it's a thing of rare beauty).

Running wise, it was pretty hard work, especially Sunday's 20-miler with a dodgy stomach (my apologies to Tesco on Roundhay Road and the Streets of Leeds pub). Thanks to Smig for donating his camel pack to me over the weekend, I found it to be easier to carry than the bottle belt (will put a picture up next week). I also managed to stay away from the booze (apart from a solitary glass of wine on Saturday night) despite another disappointing defeat at football but we will hopefully bounce back next week.

9th - 15th March

Mon: PM: 1.5 hrs gym

Tues: AM: 50 mins steady (10 km)

Wed: PM: gym 1 hr 

Thurs: AM: gym 1 hr PM: 70 mins varied pace (13.5 km)

Fri: AM: 50 mins steady (9.5 km)

Sat: Football 

Sun: 2 hrs 50 mins (32 km)

Weekly total: 65 km - training total: 553 km

Week 9 - taking on the elements

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who sponsored me this week including my cousins Melanie and Steven, Aunty Cath, Anna Hughes, Dave Hamilton and most of the Crossgates Working Men's Club football team.

Following on from last week's post, we won the semi-final 1-0 (it would have been 2-0 but for my goal being wrongly disallowed for a push and the heroics of their goalkeeper who plucked one out of the top corner). Unfortunately, the exertion and post-match celebration had a negative effect on my running schedule as I could barely move on Sunday (for both reasons!) so I moved the long run to Monday night instead. I then did a steady 10 km in the rain on Tuesday night with Evo and a quick 10 km at race pace on Wednesday before what turned out to be an eventful weekend.

On Friday I left my car at a colleague's house and had my last beer before the marathon (that's the plan anyway!) so had a steady 9 km jog at half 6 on Saturday morning to retrieve it. I then played in another semi-final for Crossgates but this time we lost 3-2 despite outplaying the opposition for most of the game. I was also disappointed to be brought off on the hour but it meant I could save my legs for Sunday's long run. 

I needed all the energy I got from my new pre-race meal of porridge followed by honey on toast (with gorgeous home-made bread) and a banana for a gruelling 18 miler in the rain and sleet with Gav (see post-run picture) that was a real mental and physical test. 

Next week promises more of the same so I just hope the weather improves along with my will power...

2nd - 8th March

Mon: (did Sunday's run!)

Tues: AM: gym 1 hr PM 55 mins steady (10 km)

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

Thurs: Rest

Fri: Rest

Sat: AM: 9 km PM: Football (semi-final)

Sun: 2 hrs 20 mins (28 km)

Weekly total: 57 km - training total: 488 km

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'!