Week 15 – 29th April – 5th May

So after no long run on Sunday, we wanted to get our last long run in early this week. Back to running on a Monday too, it’s been a while.

With less than 2 weeks to go, please donate to Motor Neurone Disease if you can. The messages that are coming out from the Rob Burrow marathon are so inspiring and the #runforamate #runwithamate links are resonating with me so much more in the last few weeks.

Its great that I will get a chance to run with and see so many mates at the finish line.

Link to my JustGiving page for Motor Neurone Disease Association #runforafriend #runwithafriend #runwithfriends.

MNDA Fundraising page

Reminder – this is not intended as any kind of recommendation, it is purely my own thoughts and comments on my weeks training. You should seek professional advice for correct marathon training tailored to you. However I hope it gives you some kind of inspiration to try something different yourself.

Training runs

Monday 29th April

It’s been a while since I ran on a Monday, usually I am resting after a long Sunday run. It was good to be back with everyone for a nice Mellow Monday trot. We ran along the seafront and up Ropery Walk

Little known fact, when I was 10 years old, I fell off my bike in Ropery Walk school yard and cracked my head. Spent about 4 days in hospital. I still have the scar on my forehead!!

From Dawdon Park we ran along Grants Crescent and then up Station Road to the Mill Inn, up to the Lodge and back down Byrons Walk to the car park.

Tuesday 30th April

So this was the run we were supposed to do on Sunday. Still time to do one last long run and then start relaxing a bit. It was the five of us that were going to do Sunday – David, Sally and Kmac who are going to Leeds with me and also Dawn who is doing Sunderland City Half Marathon on the same day we do the marathon.

Sally mapped the route out which started at Vane Tempest and took us along the seafront and up Tempest Road.

I have mentioned Vane Tempest car park quite a bit in these blogs so it may be worth giving you a little background on the name. Henry Vane was a British Politician representing the City of Durham as an MP in the late 18th Century. He changed his name to Vane Tempest when he inherited from his uncle John Tempest. He inherited the Tempest estates which included Wynyard and Brancepeth. Much of Seaham is named after him, Tempest Road, the Vane Tempest colliery and Wynyard Street to name a few.

From Tempest Road we ran up to the Police Station and up Station Road to the Mill Inn and turned right towards Ryhope. We then ran into Grangetown and took a quick pit stop at a shop to stock up on drinks.

Then we carried on towards Sunderland and turned right towards Hendon, then we turned back towards Seaham, coming back through Grangetown, Ryhope and along the coast road to Seaham. I wanted to get 11 miles in tonight and as we got back towards VT we were about a half mile short so Dawn and me set off along the promenade to round up to the full 11. David and Sally were doing their own rounding up to 16 miles and Kmac also got 11 miles in.

A great last long run, my heel was always feeling a little painful but it’s manageable. I just hope it holds out on 12th May.

Saturday May 4th

Big delivery this week in the post was my number for the marathon. It all got very real all of a sudden!

This was to be our last Foxes run before the marathon. Once it is out of the way we are aiming to get back to the Fox and Hounds chase. Only 4 of us this morning, Kmac, Nev and Lee although shortly after we started we were joined by Sally D and Faye who were doing their own training for the Sunderland Half Marathon.

From the Town Hall, we ran through Seaham Park to Northlea and then ran down to Parklands Nursing Home and down to the Station. Through the cut to the Youth Centre and then up towards Maureen Terrace and into Dalton le Dale. At the start of Dalton le Dale we ran into Deneside Park and up through the Tunnel of Love.

We came out at the Leisure Centre and then back down the Avenue and up Station Road back to the Town Hall.

Then we had the Saturday Group run again starting from the Town Hall. This route took us up to the Lodge garage and then down Byrons Walk to the seafront. We ran to the Crows Nest and then into East Shore and along to Dene House Road. Up Dene House Road and then up Station Road for the second time today back to the car park.

Another 50th birthday presentation (40th surely?) to the lovely Rachael Mc back at the car park and then down to Humbles on the seafront for breakfast with my 2 faves.

Nutrition

The long run was a good test of fuel again and felt like I had the right balance. I also tried fig rolls for the first time on a run thanks to Dawn so I will be adding them on the day.

Progress to Plan

Ahead of plan this week but mainly because I was a couple of days late with the last 11 mile run. So overall I have stayed just ahead of plan all the way through. Most importantly exceeding the longest long run by 1 mile. Am I prepared enough? Time will tell but I am not sure I could have done much more. It’s been a fine balance the last few weeks of nursing my foot whilst still getting the miles in.

Key Learning

Probably not much to add this week that I haven’t already learned through trial and error. I can certainly feel that my heel is better when I do fewer miles but I am very aware that I also need to do the miles so as I said it’s been a fine balance the last few weeks.

Fave of the week

So the next post you read will be my last one and hopefully will include the final final longest long run – the marathon.

As always there are far too many people to thank for their support and encouragement. If you have read this blog, if you have given me a good luck message even just a passing smile, you have played a huge part in this journey, believe me.

For this week I have to do a joint FOTW again with my Tuesday long runners

Kmac, David, Sally and Dawn – thanks for the laughs and the support on the run on Tuesday and look forward to seeing you in Leeds and virtually cheering Dawn in Sunderland.

As I said, just one week left to post which will hopefully include the Victory Dance in Leeds.

See you next week.

Week 14 – 22nd April – 28th April

We are into the final 3 weeks, where has that time gone? So we are now into taper territory where the run distance and intensity is reducing so that I am fresh come marathon day.

Link to my JustGiving page for Motor Neurone Disease Association #runforafriend #runwithafriend #runwithfriends.

MNDA Fundraising page

Reminder – this is not intended as any kind of recommendation, it is purely my own thoughts and comments on my weeks training. You should seek professional advice for correct marathon training tailored to you. However I hope it gives you some kind of inspiration to try something different yourself.

Training runs

Tuesday 23rd April

Continuing Tuesday is the new Monday, I joined the speedies again for another heart pounding run, although they call it an easy run!

Usual route along the seafront and up round Dels Tours (round Dawdon) and back down past the Station to East Shore Village and back to the seafront.

Wednesday 24th April

Wednesday is group run day and usually I would be doing something more technical, speed or hill related, but I just wanted to get a steady run in tonight without thinking too much about what I had to do. So a nice steady 4 and a bit mile run again on a familiar route.

Saturday 27th April

We haven’t had a Foxes run for a little while so it was nice to do one this morning, only a short stretch of the legs as we also had the group run later and hopefully a final long run tomorrow. Now that we have the marvellous parking charges in Seaham on a Saturday morning we are running away from the seafront lately. So we started at the Town Hall and ran through Seaham Park to Northlea, turned left towards Byrons Walk and then down Byrons Walk towards Seaham Hall.

For the Seaham ex-pats and also anyone reading who is interested in the history of Seaham Hall, it is probably most famous as being the place where Lord Byron (who was once described as being “mad, bad and dangerous to know”) married Lady Anne Milbanke, the daughter of the original owner of Seaham Hall. Their only daughter was called Ava Lovelace who was one of the founders of computing.

The Hall is also famous as somewhere my mam worked when it was a hospital :-). In more recent years it is now a very nice hotel.

Anyway, back to the run, we ran round the back of Seaham Hall and up towards Seaham Harbour Cricket Club and then along to the Station. Down Harbour Walk and then back up Tempest Road turning right at the top towards the Police Station. From here we ran all the way up Station Road back to the Town Hall.

Back at the Town Hall, we were now ready to start the Group run. This was going to be an up hill start and then a nice downhill into Ryhope. From the Town Hall we ran up to the Lodge garage and then turned left up to Seaton, passing the Roadside (Seaton Lane Inn) to the old Railway line at the top of Seaton. From here we ran down the old line to Ryhope, then back up Stockton Road through New Seaham and back to the Town Hall. A little over 7 miles this morning, so very happy with that.

When we got back to the Town Hall we had a little birthday presentation to give to Birthday Boy Neil, who was celebrating his 50th. Happy Birthday Mr Jet.

Sunday 28th April

Sunday was due to be the final long run day. I was aiming for my final Half Marathon in training. We planned on meeting Sally after Sunday Circuits at 9.30 to run to Sunderland and back. When we got to the car park, it was raining and then some. Looking at the forecast, it wasn’t going to improve any time soon.

We all piled into Davids Landrover to decide what we were going to do. Not only was it raining really heavy but it was also windy. We really didn’t have to do this run today. If we did it was going to be horrible. We all decided, after a lot of laughing as you can see below, that this was one we could do another day. There was no benefit in doing it today. So instead we did what we do best, we went for something to eat!

Nutrition

Other than the breakfast above, not much to report this week.

Progress to Plan

So the long run this week was meant to be 11 miles in the plan. I was hoping to do my final Half Marathon but I had to settle for just over 7 miles on Saturday. I was comfortable with this as we still had early next week to look at doing 11 miles.

Key Learning

One thing I haven’t mentioned this week is my foot injury. Sadly it is still there, it’s always there but it is better when I run less. However I need to run to get the miles in my legs. It’s a double edged sword and it looks like something I will have to manage right up until 12th May. I just have to keep nursing it along doing stretches, resting when I can and if needs must taking pain killers when necessary.

Fave of the week

Tough one to choose this week. As always support and encouragement has been superb and I really appreciate it.

This weeks FOTW is Dawn. A very calming influence when you run with her. Always one of the first Foxes on the teamsheet and doing her own training for the Sunderland Half Marathon on the same day we are in Leeds. Thanks for all the support and chats Dawn.

So this was a taper week as I said at the start, managed just under 20 miles this week, which is more than I was doing way back at the start of this plan.

See you next week, just 2 more weeks to go.