The Long Long Long Run

The most important part of my marathon training is certainly my long run. I feel that it is endurance more than anything else that I am and have generally been lacking. While I certainly have been racing quite a bit over the last 2 months and there are a few more "unnecessary" races to come I should be concentrating on my endurance training. Having said all that I have completed all the marathon training programmed endurance runs to-date with a few extra miles thrown in. My marathon training programme endurance run for week 9 out of 24 called for 14 miles - I did 20 because I forgot what it was like. Now that I know I wonder why all that preparation is put into one race when I could train at relatively lower mileage and compete more often in shorter races up to 15 miles that don't require carb-loading, energy gels, nipple plasters, blister packs, walking down stairs backwards .....the list goes on. Maybe it is for those very reasons that I do! Fri 15th Feb 2.5 miles in 19:45 (07:54 pace @ ??HR) Treadmill at the Gym at lunchtime. Nice sleep-in. Sat 16th Feb 11.4 Miles in 01:25:34 (07:30 pace @ 138 HR) RHR @ 37 bpm. Not bad after a late night (in bed for 0250 hrs). Sun 17th Feb 20.0 Miles in 02:42:23 (08:07 pace @ 130 HR) - return of the long run => Fatigue - mental more than physical. (well both really). I was so hungry when I got home (could think of nothing else for the last 4 miles) I wolfed down my breakfast so fast I got a bad stomach cramp - doubled over in pain for a few minutes.

Week 9/24 - 66.9 Miles