50 by 50

Another few weeks training have come and gone and fitness is returning to where I need it to be to take on the next few months (Duathlon, ½ marathon and Marathon all by middle of April), and now that a large distraction, which would have seen me doing the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon, has been removed I have been able to throw more effort into my training and concentrate on the task in hand. I am still using a 3-day-a-week training programme, with a short (5 mile) effort session mid-week, a run to work and home “split day” on a Friday (anywhere between 13 and 18 miles in total), with pack and the standard 15 mile+ LSD run on a Sunday, which will see me right for the London Marathon. Once the Marathon is over I will then be adding an extra weekly run and pushing the Friday run up to 30 miles in preparation for the Grand Union Canal Race in late May, including running to, running in and running home from the Halstead Marathon in May.

Other plans for the year have changed slightly, now that the Loch Ness Marathon is off, and i have signed up for the Beachy Head Marathon in late October, to run with and support Zoe Orrin Mumford as she attempts to do 1000 miles in a year for Breast Cancer!!

I am also looking at doing the Rutland Marathon a month later, which will make 4 marathons for the year, starting me back on the way to hitting 50 by my 50th birthday (10 done so far and 6½ years until D-Day). This means I will need to average 6 marathons a year, which isn’t a great deal, but I am also now looking at doing the Marathon Des Sables again in 2013/2014 and hopefully the 6633 Ultra as well, finances pending of course. I last did the MdS in 2009 and still watch highlights of last year and hear of other doing this year’s race (and have a documentary interview to do with a local BBC reporter doing the race this year), with immense envy, but with entry fees now over £3500 it’s a lot to “stump up”, and justify, without getting some serious sponsorship (all offers accepted), so dates may change accordingly (saving £10 per month should see me there by my 70th).

Other races (all raising money for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity) planned are Grimsthorpe Ultra in August (70 miles), Shotley Challenge in September (55 miles) and hopefully another Duathlon as well as some local Triathlons along the way too!

It’s going to get busy!!!

Until next time (After the Dunmow Duathlon) - Stay safe - stay seen!!!