Eat, Sleep

and eat some more!

Entering the tenth week of our half marathon training plan and I am really pleased with how well it has gone so far.  We are on course and have run further than I ever thought imaginable.  I haven't entirely changed my mindset from that of preferring speed over a shorter distance, but I have stopped thinking of the half marathon in terms of how it relates to five kilometres and am starting to see the distances as two very different kinds of running. There are however two consequences of this increase in distance that I have yet to fully get to grips with. The first is to do with how tired I am, the second centres around hunger!

Incorporating parkrun into our long run has been great, both in terms of motivation for getting there and round the final three miles, and the fact that come half past nine on a Saturday morning my running is over for the weekend. Trouble is so is my energy! I spent all weekend playing catch up and judging by how tired I've been today I don't think I made it.

Secondly, as mentioned last week, I'm ravenous! I am too ashamed to tell you how much I ate yesterday, but lets just say I was fit to burst by the end of it! This had the knock on effect of me not being particularly hungry when I went to the supermarket first thing this morning, didn't buy anywhere near enough sugary products to munch on and have spent this afternoon back where I was last week scouring the cupboards for anything that will tick the box.  Usually fairly discerning about the quality of chocolate I will eat, I have just stuffed my face with a bar that I wouldn't normally even consider, but couldn't stop myself eating, I now feel a little sick!

I spent some time this morning mapping out our nine mile to parkrun route for Saturday, my legs itching to get out and run, my head desperate to find a pillow and hit it at the earliest possible opportunity. In the end I have done neither, as it isn't a run day nor have I had time to go for a snooze. The second of which I may regret later when I'm sitting watching four GCSE drama performances - no disrespect to H and his peers it's just the thought of a quiet darkened room may prove to be too conducive to sleep... No! It's OK I've just remembered how uncomfortable the chairs are!

I am wondering how long I will have to train at this level for before my body adapts to the changes whist at the same time very concious that cheap chocolate and sugary carbohydrates are not the way forward.  Way back in July when I visited the Running Man he was advocating a carbohydrate free diet - ha! It would either kill me, or I'd kill anyone coming near me eating any! I think for the time being that may be a step too far, and if I'm going to integrate any of his suggestions into my daily routine perhaps I would be better advised to start with the exercises!

M - 526
Brighton Half - 83
Glasgow Half - 307
Total Distance covered      399.6 miles