Another door opens......

It's always the way. The closer you get to the start line, the more niggles, you seem to get. If it's not the knee it's now the right calf which is still a bit tight from Sunday. Hasn't stopped me running about 30 km this week, but still needs care and attention. As a precaution I have booked a physio session on Monday morning with Sparky (see previous posts from about a year ago) so if after my 19km on Sunday it is a problem, then at least something can be done about it.

Also completely out of character, I have not had a decent drink for nearly two weeks now. I think I have had about 4 glasses of wine in the whole 14 day period. Unusual behaviour to say the least. The whole idea of this running lark was that once I had reached 40, I ran so that I could enjoy a drink and eat what I wanted without exploding. But the closer I get to Rotterdam the less I feel like it.

Family B are back in Blighty for the Easter hols leaving Bedders here in Holland. Having literally just set up a business here I thought it may be considered a little complacent to take the first week of trading off as a holiday.

So, today is the last day with the company I have worked for since I graduated 23 years ago and on Monday the doors open to my new business.

Thank goodness that's over

With the last long run behind me, it's three weeks to go to Rotterdam. 35 long km yesterday felt like the real deal. Cold at the start, windy and surrounded by 7ft tall Dutch men is one way of spending a Sunday morning. Maybe that fact that the last 5 km was hard had something to do with the fact that the total km for last week amounted to 75km. While it was tough getting through the run I don't expect to do that kind of mileage the week before the marathon.

So now I begin the toughest part of the training - the taper.

Waiting.....

...for the last real long training run on a Sunday 3 weeks before the marathon is nearly worse than waiting for the real thing. I am doing a 35km run with the Rotterdam training teams somewhere south of where we live and just keep hoping that the weather picks up a bit. I just want to get it out of the way and then look forward to the taper which as people who know me understand, that's the bit of the training program I treat very seriously.

On yesterday's run I had it all - only 16km but had wind, rain, sun, sleet and horrible little hailstones pinging down on me from high.

Roll on Sunday. I just hope everyone remembers to put their clocks forward.

5km splits for the half marathon last week:

5km 26:24
10km 52:40 (26:16)
15km 1:18:48 (26:08)
20km 1:44:10 (25:22)

1:49 and a bit

So, CPC Loop comes and goes. My time was very similar to last year although I felt a whole lot stronger. And a very negative split. Probably for the first time. I know it is only a half and you can't take much from it, but it was a good half with no stress, lots of fun, low av HR and felt good.

No aches, no pains and felt strong in the last 10 km.

Travelling back to UK this week as well as trying to set myself up in Holland so looking forward to the last long run (35km) next Sunday.

Half marathon tomorrow

After a full week of training it's the Hague City-pier-city run tomorrow where I will run the half in the time I expect to run the first 21km at Rotterdam. I intend starting right at the back of the field to let all those fast people collide with each other while I stroll past at around the 1km mark.

Typically has been a great week weather wise and tomorrow is predicted to be wind and rain. Still, that's not unusual for running conditions here.

BTW It was red nose today - so CB decided to go to school with a red wig on (?!) Makes sense doesn't it.

Good long run in fine weather

At last. A long run without any real wind and rain. Result 32 km in 2:55:00 and av HR 143. Leaving the house today at 07:45 and getting out early made a difference as at that time of the day the cyclists are civil to you. Later on the mad ones appear......

See, all it needs is good weather (and a pocket full of jelly babies of course). And the knee? well, lets not tempt fate.

New way of running injured - just ignore it

I am trying to ignore my knee injury in the faint hope that if I pay it little attention it will go away. A bit like my attitude to children and dogs that I don't like.

So have run 34 km so far this week and looking forward to a 32km LSR on Sunday. If only the rain would keep off I may be able to enjoy it. Asking for there to be no wind is like asking for the impossible but the wind and rain together while running along sand dunes really becomes dispiriting.

In total this will be another 80km week - and the knee still hurts, but as I say, I am just ignoring it.

p.s KB bought me back some jelly babies from UK last week so my stocks are back up. Last weekend I ran with Dutch- bought jelly beans which were neither made of jelly nor were they bean like. Infact they were horrible.

Knee still playing up

I have been very busy in the last week setting up the next phase of my working life so running has taken somewhat of a back seat in terms of my time. Even though Rotterdam is just 5-6 weeks away, I still have this niggling knee injury which I simply cannot diganose. So, the plan is to run just a few shorter distances this week, with the key aim being the 35 km long run in 3 weeks which will really give me a good idea if a sub 3:50 marathon time is possible or if I just treat Rotterdam as another marathon and spend my time enjoying it rather than putting pressure on myself

Today is the first long run (only 19km) that I am missing since the start of the training program so all is not lost. I'll run about 10 and see how I feel.

The 80km week really took it out of me!