Marathon training – Week 10: Only 4 weeks to go!

Yes, there are only 4 weeks until my first marathon of the year (and 8 weeks until my second and last one). I’m slightly surprised but very happy that I have gotten this far without any injuries and issues. Especially considering how much my left leg was bothering me from June until January. I’m still not sure what exactly has been making it better but as I’ve mentioned before it’s probably a combination of more Bikram and using different shoes for the long runs – the same kind I ran Paris last year.

Despite the fact that my legs are fine and in general I’m fit and healthy, what maddens me about marathon training is the amount I eat. I simply eat all.the.time.

Of course I need some of those calories for all the running but I I’m eating more than I actually need. I go to bed most nights feeling totally stuffed and I don’t like that feeling. Yet – I cannot stop eating. I think I might need some help, maybe someone can hypnotise me so I don’t snack in the evenings non-stop from 7-9:30pm 😐

Anyway, I’m hoping that my brain-stomach communication will improve once these marathons have been run.

This week’s training was nice and uneventful:

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: Crossfit
• Wednesday:
  • 32.11km at 5:46 min/km pace
  • Sports massage
  • Bikram
• Thursday: 5km at 6:34 pace (recovery run to the office, with a backpack as usual)
• Friday: Crossfit
• Saturday: 14km 5:18 pace
• Sunday: 8km at 4:41 pace (4 x 1km intervals with a minute walk in between, then 4km without stopping)

Total: 59.11km

There are only two more long runs ahead of me – 34km (21 miles) this Wednesday and 36km (22 miles) next Wednesday. After that it’s tapering for 2.5 weeks. I am looking forward to reduced mileage but I’m sure once the taper is here I’ll feel all lost and confused – when the body’s been running close to 60km a week for 12 weeks, it’s hard to stop.

(To a non-runner this probably sounds like such bollocks, but all runners definitely know what I’m talking about.)