Re-Launch

Official relaunch of my blog is NOW, and has been suitably renamed to "42k and Beyond".

The last year has been a difficult one on the running front with a number of niggling injuries and knock-backs as well as a change of job making training time hard to find, with a number of trips overseas always at times when mileage needed increasing. However training for the London Marathon this year gave me the chance to try a number of plans and I am now able to run 4 times a week without issue - 2 lunchtimes, one long Sunday run and a midweek "get of the train early" run - getting off 1-3 stops earlier and running home (4.5, 8.5, 13miles as time allows).

Running around the Royal Docks in London, where i now work, has been very nice, especially with the ExCel Centre being a major arena for the Olympics and Paralympics. Being so close to the action and caught up in the daily commute of the games helpers and spectators has been superb and feedback from people I know overseas has been amazing - Britain can shine sometimes!!!!

Anyway back to the running, as training has now been sorted I am planning more races! Next up in October is the Brentwood Trail Marathon, 12 x 3.5k laps of a country park - nice in the sun, but slippery when wet and October will probably be very wet (must break in some trail running shoes)

This will be followed in January by the Country to Capital 45 mile Ultra (http://gobeyondultra.co.uk) a multi-terrain ultra starting in Wendover with 25 miles of tracks, trails, ditches and roads before 20 miles along the footpath of the Grand Union Canal to Little Venice in London - I last did this in 2010, but did the race at someone else's slower pace but will run alone this time (miss the company but should be quicker).

Hopefully I will then do the London Marathon, with my lovely wife Mandy if we both get through the ballot, next April - her first Marathon and you will hear her scream if she gets in!!

Finally, for now, I hope to be doing the Grand Union Canal Race (http://www.gucr.co.uk/) next May, if I get through that ballot. I attempted this race in 2010, but made the mistake of running with someone at their pace rather than the pace and strategy I had used in training and suffered due to a lack of food resulting in a blood diversion issue (details are in the below race report)!

So that's it! Plans are afoot and races are there to be run and all will be 26.2 and Beyond!

Stay tuned for updates on kit and training as I go!

Thanks and tell your friends
Rich