Week 11

Total Mileage : 63
Runs: 6

This week? I am not even going to pretend i was close to following my plan to the letter. I have mostly been doing what i feel like. Running wherever the spirit takes me. Jazz. Freestyle. Bip badda boop badda weeee wak wak wooo badda bong.

Or something.

Actually its been more a case of getting the runs in as and when and doing what felt reasonable at the time. Again, its been another week thats been almost entirely about the key sessions. In particular this was a tempo run on friday (which felt about as effortless as these runs can) and sunday's long run of 22 miles.

That long run was pretty much a breeze. This seems quite ridiculous to me. 22 miles and it wasnt a trial? How is that even possible particularly when i did a 5 miler earlier in the week and it felt pretty horrid? These are the mysteries of marathon training though. I have hit a bit of a sweet spot where i am in control of my effort. My form (while it has its issues) is clearly working for me (i know this when my feet feel better and look less scabby...). Most of all i am recovering well. Speed of recovery always seems like one of the best indicators of fitness to me. Just now i am recovering from everything other than the harder sessions in 24 hours with some comfort and even sunday's 22 mile run has not resulted in the expected stiffness (though i am experiencing slightly fatigued feeling glutes).

22 miles also marks something of a peak in the training schedule. Thats the longest run i will do. I have another 20 miler and at least one 18 mile run to come but getting the big one out of the way feels like i have broken the back of it a bit. There are still some tough runs to come but one of the most important ones is banked and that gives me a bit of confidence moving forward. Stats are currently suggesting i am ahead of where i was at a comparable point in previous marathon training. There is more improvement to come between now and the race too. This makes choosing a race pace tricky. My warmup races will help decide on that. More on this subject another time i expect...

Getting that benchmark out of the way has caused me to think more generally about benchmarks in my training. The 63 miles run this week ranks it as the joint biggest week i have done. My mind still quietly boggles at that number as i can quite clearly remember what a barrier a 25 mile week felt like!

September was the biggest mileage total i have posted in a single month by quite some distance. 248 as compared to my previous best of 214. For the last couple of years i have targetted 1500 miles for the year and failed. This year it looks like i will achieve that with ease, probably in about a week and a half's time.

Now these are not particularly significant milestones in and of themselves. Their real importance is in demonstrating that i am capable of absorbing the kind of training volumes that will hopefully give me a decent chance to have a good run in Florence. That being said there is a lot of positive motivation to be had from these little challenges and targets. If nothing else it helps to stop me fixating on the looming 26.2 mile monster heading rapidly towards me.