Today was the longest run on the schedule so far - 15 miles. It also happened to be my Grandpa's 84th birthday and most of the family were coming up to celebrate (as well as see Mum), which meant that I had to be off early doors so that I would be finished in time for lunch.
Happily we (I ran with my friend Al who is also doing the marathon) finished in a time of 1:58:10, so still getting in under the 8 minute mile barrier, and that included a Paula Radcliffe style pee stop (although I did use a bush for cover!)
No real issues on the run, and the isotonic gels seem to be keeping us going. 1 every 1/2 hr is plenty, and it seems to come by quickly. I did experience a slight cramping in my hamstring with about 1 mile to go, but after threatening to come on a couple of times, thankfully it never set in.
So the confidence levels are building now. This is the furthest I've ever run and I certainly didn't feel out of breath at any stage. I think the real challenge for running the marathon will be getting the leg muscles used to running that distance. The rest of the body is more than capable of completing the race. From here on in though it's a steady high mileage every Sunday. There's one 10k in a couple of weeks, but other than that it's all 10 miles plus. Bring it on!
Chris P
(sponsor me here)
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