Falling back onto the wagon...

I had a plan last year.  OK, OK.  Actually, I had two.  I planned to run an Ultra and to complete 12 marathons in a year.  The Ultra went well but I didn't manage the marathons.  I finished 10.

After the Preston Guild Marathon, it looked like I could squeeze in the last two in November but I didn't really recover for a month after.  Guess I was trying for too much, too soon in my running.  Just as I was getting it back together, I got one of those colds that settled in my chest.  Every attempt to run for pretty much the whole of December left me wheezing after about 200 metres.  And that was the end of that year...

5x50 Day 47

6.1k cycled.

5x50 Day 46

Nearly did a new thing in this challenge:  Miss a day.

46 days in, I'd been kinda busy all day and then had a couple of beers with a friend while I waited for a lift home.  When I got back, I was absolutely not in the mood. 

But then I gave myself a bit of a talking to and got changed.  I did end up doing something new, after all.  This was my first night run at home and it was kind of eerie once i got out of the village and ran through the vines by the light of my headtorch.

I turned in 7.1k at a decent pace so tomorrow, I may just take the easy option and cycle.

5x50 Day 45

In theory, I'm tapering towards a marathon this Sunday.  But actually, my mileage is so dismal these days that there hardly seems to be any point.  I did a shade over 8k at what I would love to be Marathon Pace today.  Sadly, that's a fantasy that starts to unravel before the halfway mark of any actual race.

One day, I'll get this right...

5x50 Day 44

Cycled 6.2k.  Again.

5x50 Day 43

Cycled 6.2k.  That is all.  Move along...

5x50 Days 41 & 42

Two weeks since the last marathon, one week until the next one.  And I'm thinking of stepping up the tempo to a marathon every two weeks for November.  Thinking.  Yeah...

Anyway,  11.25k run today at what I hope will one day be marathon pace.  I will get below 4h45m.  Really, I will.

Edit:  Missed reporting on Day 41.  Duh.  Another 5k cycling day...

5x50 Day 40

8.3k run.  Yes, two days running in a row.  A friend dropped by last night and suggested we went out together today which is exactly what happened.  Very pleasant and relaxed session.

5x50 Day 39

6.4k Half-Marathon Pace run.  Very refreshing...

5x50 Day 38

5k cycling. 

In trouble with the wife for saying "I need to go for a run today because I only went cycling this morning."  Apparently this is the same as saying "Everything you do is worthless.  Why do you even bother?"

Who knew?

5x50 Day 37

Easy day with just 5k cycled.

5x50 Day 36: Sneaking out for a crafty Half.

I've been feeling a bit lost recently.  My training over the summer was sporadic at best and it's shown in my recent marathon results.  I can't seem to get close to five hours, let alone below it.  Well, I'm having a bit of a marathon splurge again to the point where each marathon will be the last Long Run before the next.

5x50 Day 35

Cycled 7.7k.

5x50 Day 34

I was feeling a little fatigued from both the weekend and Wednesdays' Tempo Run so today was a gentle 8.25k jog.  I ran out a mile, met up with a friend and we did a 5k loop together.  Then I finished up the run on my own.  It was really nice just jogging in company, chatting about this and that.

5x50 Day 33

Leisurely 7.2k with youngest daughter.  Very relaxing...

5x50 Day 32

7.1k run.  This was going to be some hill repeats but at the top of the first one I knew it just wasn't going to happen.  I made a snap decision to turn the session into a Tempo Run instead.  6.4k (4 miles) at MP (Marathon Pace) and the some cooldown. 

MP for me is my ideal target pace, not the one I actually end up running.  One day...

5x50 Day 31

Cycled 6k very, very slowly.  Also spent the morning repairing damaged fences for the horses.  My life is so exciting...  :)

5x50 Day 30: Recovery and Race Result for MdV

After a fairly awkward evening hobbling up and down the stairs, a good night of sleep worked its usual miracle.  I felt better than I had hoped this morning and so, just before lunch, I went for a recovery run.

6.3k in 46 minutes isn't going to set the world on fire but I felt the fatigue from yesterday from the very first step.  Encouragingly, it didn't get harder as I progressed and I kept a pretty steady pace, even on the hills.

Also, just got the official time for the Marathon des Villages and it isn't pretty:

42.2k  5:25:34

Placed 670 of 687 finishers, 251 of 254 in class.

There were 822 signed up for the marathon.  My guess is that a lot of people were put off by the rain overnight.

5x50 Day 29: Marathon des Villages 2012

Marathon #9 this year and my 12th so far: the Marathon des Villages de la Presqu'Île de Lége-Cap-Ferret (to give you its full name). I was both dreading and anticipating this one.

5x50 Day 28

Walked 5k on very sandy beaches with the family. Quite hard work, especially in the dunes.