Five weeks to go. Eeeeeek. I can't believe it's coming round so quickly. Training went pretty well this week - I put in my fastest time over 5 miles which I was quite chuffed about. The mid week 8 miler was also a good run - down to the Houses of Parliament, over the Thames and back up to Battersea Park. I managed to miscalculate the distance which resulted in me doing three laps past the front door to make up the final mile but other than that it was pretty standard issue. London definitely has an autumnal feel about it now and the evenings are drawing in which means that by the time i'm home from my evening runs it's usually dark. One of the reasons I chose to run the New York marathon was the propsect of summer training - I'm a fairweather sports enthusiast, that's for sure.
The long one this week was scheduled for 18 miles. I had a three day weekend at home booked from way back and so my plan was to run the Camel Trail, a beautiful former railway which connects Bodmin to Padstow. In total the trail is 17 miles long. Looking at the map I decided to run from Nanstallon to Padstow (9.7 miles) and back again. The only problem was not having access to the car along the way and not passing anywhere to get a refil on the water. Thankfully my mum agreed to meet me at various points along the way in the car to make sure I was ok and hand out the supplies. I started out slightly later than I would have liked at 10am and the first 4 miles (usually my worst) passed pretty quickly.
It was sunny and still and the Camel River looked beautiful. Passing through Wadebridge and on towards the mouth of the esturay the views were stunning and you could see for miles. I cycled along the Camel Trail loads of times as a child but haven't done it in at least 10 years. The scenery, combined with dodging death by out of control cyclists, really kept my mind off getting tired. Having met me in Wadebridge after just 4 miles Mum had jumped in the car and driven round to Padstow, the halfway point. As I rolled up to the jetty, where she was reading a magazine in the sun, my legs felt good but my right shoulder was in agony. I think I must be tensing my neck and shoulders whilst running, or maybe it has something to do with carrying a water bottle in the left hand. No idea but it was killing. My support crew administered 2 Ibuprofen and a refil of water and although what I really wanted to do was hang around for some Rick Stein Fish & Chips in a poncy box I promptly turned around to retrace my steps back to the original starting point.
Miles 13 - 15 were hard but after the third sighting of Mum, another water refil and my first sports gel (blackcurrent falvour (grim) but not as bad as the rumours made out) I was back on the road and ready for a sprint finish. Well almost. I was genuinely surprised at my stamina, perhaps it was down to the location, perhaps it was down to having my mum support me at regular intervals along the way or maybe it was down to my three helpings of all-you-can-eat party buffet at my friend's father's birthday party the night before. Any which way it was a genuine shock and for the first time the 26.2 mile distance felt really within reach. As the Garmin beeped to let me know I'd hit the 18 mile mark I pushed on through and ran almost back to the car, stopping just shy to walk the last half a mile with mum.
As the weekly mileage continues to tick up at a knee-shattering pace i'm focusing more on the nutrition. More than one person has told me it is key to success (er - what about the running?). Having stomached the energy gel on this week's long run I've stocked up on more and also (as recommedned by a friend who's just done The Great North Run) bought myself a book called Go Faster Foods.
I also bought myself a guidebook on New York. Woo Hoo!
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