Day 711

1.  Last night I was sat knitting on a barge, this evening I'm hiding out with my needles in my bedroom having been hoodwinked into hosting a party for H and his friends.

2.  I say host - I mean provide the house, food and alcohol for said party and then go downstairs on pain of death!

3.  Which is a shame as before my banishment I saw someone arrive with Pringles and I really really want some!

4.  With three and a bit weeks to go I seem to have started my carb loading a little early - at the rate I'm going if my foot gets too sore I'll be able to curl up into a ball and be rolled round!

5.  PS being trapped upstairs with the dog isn't all bad...

London - 24
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 710

1.  Determined to have a more productive day than yesterday it was back to the gym this morning and some more interval training on the exercise bike! (Still enjoying it more than I thought I would but shhh don't tell anyone!)

2.  There are seven rows of lights on the display which as far as I can tell light up depending on how much effort you put in  - I got six rows lit this morning! Admittedly not for long but a far cry from 'workout paused'! 

3.  Said goodbye to one of my gym friends - sooner or later we will both no longer be there! Me because I'LL HAVE LEFT! She because she's very near to having a baby (and is STILL fitter than me!) Felt quite sad (seriously starting to worry that I might miss it!)

4.  Felt quite sad when I got home too - Mr L has left for the British Juggling Convention. House not the same without him. 

5.  But a new experience to pass the time this evening - community knitting meet up on a barge we plan to yarn bomb in June! Having always harboured a romantic notion of living on a houseboat I can tell you now it isn't going to happen! The noise of the motor meant I couldn't hear anything and the slight rocking motion was enough to make me feel slightly queasy! But knit enough to cover a boat... My already fairly extensive list of things to do once the marathon is over just got busier!

London - 25
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 709

1.  I feel like a car whose lights were left on last night....

2.  I have woken up with a flat battery! 

3.  Unlike a car however I couldn't find the equivalent of jump leads or a way to bump start my day and so spent most of it doing very little.

4.  Coincidentally?! My newfound enthusiasm for runner support continued this morning and I was very happy to wave the half marathoners (and Dougal) off without a single wish that I was going with them! 

5.  Might have had a little to do with the fact that it was raining!

London - 26
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 708

1.  Ha! Sat on the exercise bike this morning with the pain in my foot increasing with every revolution it dawned on me...

2.  My foot's been feeling better because I haven't done any physical exercise since Friday morning! 

3.  Disappointing but nothing to the pain that my friends put themselves through at the World Coal Carrying Championships! 

4.  Had such a fun time. Stood near the finish line we were impressed enough with the effort before we walked down to the start line and saw how far they'd come! Well done MK - sixth in the veterans race! Fabulous performance by my knitting buddies in the woman's race.... so many strings to your bows!

5.  Appetite whetted Mr L?! Even if it is a little disconcerting that the event is sponsored by the local undertakers?!

London - 27
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 707 - FOUR

1.  My foot is a little better! Since taking the tape off on Friday night I have noticed a slight improvement, especially first thing in the morning when I get up.  There is hope!

2.  AND there is still a whole four weeks left for additional improvement - FOUR WEEKS?! It is scarily close and yet still can't come soon enough!

3.  Not much time to spend deliberating about it today - I spent the majority of it on a film set watching H being a foul mouthed drug dealer (so proud!). I use the term 'film set' in it's most basic form, it was indeed where the film was being set, it's just that in this case that was a farm yard and it was freezing!

4.  It was however really interesting and all was going well until I heard the words "mum in shot" being shouted by the director and they'd to re-shoot the scene! Worse was to come when I found out that H was to actually get shot! How many times do I have to watch my son die on stage and now on film?! (Except that this was rather cool cause he had some remote controlled explosive device strapped to his tummy which was detonated when he got shot and it caused 'blood' to burst out of his T-shirt on cue!)

5.  Six hours on my feet, no food, dehydrated and at the same time needing a wee - who'd have thought when I set out this morning I'd have been doing some marathon training!

London - 28
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 706

1.  Fun morning at parkrun, although there were mixed reactions to my reaction times with the stop watch...

2.  MK more than pleased that I recorded his first sub twenty finish (to be fair I think this is far more to do with the fact that he's been training for the coal carrying World Championships on Monday than anything I did right)  Fellow parkrunner less than pleased that her recorded time was two seconds slower than that recorded on her Garmin robbing her of a PB (to be fair, given how cold my hands were, it could have been worse! But after a public FB shaming (how very dare you!) I have suggested she put a bit more effort in next time to be on the safe side!!!).  I'd have been gutted and am really sorry RLB.

3.  Watching Mo Farah compete in atrocious weather at a World Half Marathon championships this afternoon I was, as always, in awe of his ability but very glad that I wasn't part of the masses running behind.  Sat quite happily I wasn't prepared for the London Marathon trailer that came on after! It's the first I've seen this year and it just keeps getting a little bit more real! Cleverly edited it did the trick of inspiring me - just a shame my anxieties resurfaced in equal measure!

4. Yes! I am still stressing about the logistics!  None of it is panning out as per my expectations and in the absence of anything concrete to hold onto all I've got left is panic! The pub where Al and the boys were going to be is the only area listed as PLEASE GIVE A WIDE BERTH, my plan to run on the right hand side of the road may well be scuppered as slow runners are requested to stay away from the blue tape on the road showing elite runners the fastest line and I may well then have to change sides accordingly - which matters because how will I be able to tell the boys which side I'll be on?! Especially as I might not finish in enough time to see them at the end before they've to get their train home.... STOP!! If only I'd done a course in Mindfulness to  keep my mind on the present!

5.  I would like to put it in writing that not only did Mr L acknowledge that he was feeling a little post parkrun euphoric this morning (a rarity) but he suggested that he might be interested in entering the coal carrying champs next year! A kilometre with 50kg of coal on your back?! (admittedly I'd only have to carry 20) My new found role of runner support looks like it might be continuing!

London - 29
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 705

1.  Beautiful sunny morning just the perfect day to go to the gym and spend an hour on an exercise bike!

2.  BUT motivational tunes a go-go (no that isn't a reference to the inclusion of Wham!) I managed twenty km and left feeling almost euphoric!

3.  I am now trying to work out if I can get to there tomorrow before the gym closes on Sunday and I'll have to wait until Monday for my next fix....

4.  Help! What has happened to me?!  I'm hoping it's part of the whole leaving the gym rose tinted glasses thing and I really won't miss it come the end of April!

5.  Seems I cope a lot better watching Mr L head out for a run when he doesn't set off till his half marathon run buddies can get here at half seven this evening! Cold and dark, I was more than happy to wave them off and then go back to being curled up in front of the fire to await their return.  8.2 miles but at a speed faster than my race pace... I think I'll stick with being training support even when I could join you!

London - 30
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 704

1.  It's here! My marathon magazine and number have arrived!

2.  Ladies and Gentlemen let me introduce myself... I am Marathongirl33452! 

3.  I think I'm supposed to be excited but instead it has just set off a wave of panic! 

4.  Forget about my foot and whether or not I'll be able to run...

5.  I've now got a whole magazine dedicated to the logistics of the day to read and worry over!

London - 31
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 703

1.  Going to hit the 20,000 page view on my blog this evening! Long since stopped checking viewing figures on an hourly basis but still somewhat excited by this milestone! THANK YOU!

2.  Starting to panic a bit that there is only four weeks left for me to train, and starting to think that I should have got into the gym on a more frequent basis....

3.  It's strange but since cancelling my membership (with effect from the 25 April) I have found myself almost wishing I hadn't!  The mind is such a curious thing.... now that it's too late to do anything about it I find myself fantasying about being a gym bunny and really fit.

4.  Never makes me stay any longer when I'm there though!  Nor work any harder!  Which is how I know it's a TRICK!

5.  BUT interval training on the bike wasn't quite as hideous as I thought it was going to be and I'm almost disappointed that it's gym strength work and not more of the same tomorrow.  See what I mean?! Next I'll be telling you I enjoy going and am going to miss it - at which point you have permission to shoot me!

London - 32
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 702

1.  I never made it to the gym today so no cycling interval hell to report on.

2.  Instead I shuffled round in a fairly incoherent daze, got through the day and went to bed as early as I could.

3.  Poorly?! Upset?! Or shell shocked after staying up till HALF PAST THREE whilst H finished his Performing Arts Portfolio?!

4.  House Drama competition tomorrow, which means this time last year I was stressing about getting all the costumes finished so I could get on with sewing bags - thank goodness that is all behind me!

5.  I was very clear on the issue of not making the costumes again this year, and it seems no one really stepped up in my absence.  I have no idea what H is going to wear tomorrow, but the other reason for going to bed early was to disappear before I found myself being asked to conjure up a unicorn outfit!

London - 33
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 701

1.  A call for help over FB last night saw friends and family rallying to the cause and providing me with suggestions for their top motivational tunes.

2.  I should have done this sooner.... I returned from walking Dougal with my mood suitably uplifted!

3.  I have been to see the Bionic Man and had my foot taped, another exercise added to the list and instructions as to what level of effort I should be exerting on the exercise bike...

4.  Apparently it's not normal for someone to go so slowly that the bike announces 'workout paused' whilst still actually pedalling, so I have instead to do my own program which involves thirty second intervals of high intensity after every minute.... it's going to kill me!

5.  BUT it might help shed a few pounds as for whilst my training has taken a bit of a nose dive of late my appetite hasn't waned at all!

London - 34
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 700 - FIVE

1.  Day 700 and the roller coaster ride continues - think it's fair to say I'm in a bit of a slump at the moment.

2.  It's hard when it is the most glorious morning, the type that make running in the freezing rain worthwhile, and instead of donning your trainers and hitting the open road, you're playing running support (again) and watching Al and parkrunfastfinisher head out for their first half marathon training run.

4.  Hard too when you can't then join your friends in Leeds for a nice trot along the canal followed by beer and curry, or that you know your running buddies who accompanied you on the seventeen mile wet weather killer are taking the East Hull 20 miler by storm and the best you can manage is to sit at home applying some anti rheumatic cream borrowed from your eighty six year old mother!

5.  Five weeks.  I CAN do this and I WILL get there.  Not exactly sure how, BUT if you're at the bottom there's only one way you can go... time to get this on the playlist!

London - 35
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 699

1.  Another parkrun, another day not running....

2.  But no timekeeper disasters to report, so perhaps I'm getting better at something!

3.   It was hard watching Al and Dougal head off to run there.... I'm not adjusting to my role of runner support very well!

3.  Speaking with fellow volunteer LR afterwards I was saying that the worse thing about volunteering was getting your parkrun text, forgetting that you hadn't run and just being a little on the disappointed side when all it says is thank you, your efforts are greatly appreciated.

4.  On returning home I then received a lovely message from her which read as follows...

"Well done on volunteering for your umpteenth parkrun.  A new PB in number of smiles given to runners, your claps per minute remains at 125.  Thanks for volunteering. Well Done..... sponsored by aql"

This is more like it - perhaps I need to suggest it to parkrun HQ!


London - 36
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 698

1.  My ultra running facebook friend posted a link to a pod cast today about feet, and how to fix them... just what I needed.

2.  So I set off to walk Dougal and instead of anything that might have been useful to my current predicament I got over an hour of discussion about blisters and how best to lance them and callous and what to do about it, and a very short sentence about sticking your feet in Epsom Salts to aid recovery!

3.  That and the suggestion that the pain in my feet is most likely being caused by my shoes and I should spend time finding the right pair for me.... BUT WHERE DO I GO TO DO THIS?!! Every shop has a different opinion and will ultimately sell me something else that until I run in I have no idea if they will make things better or worse!

4.  Meanwhile I have temporarily turned my back on my vegetarianism and purchased some fish oil, as I have been advised that Omega 3 will help, and although you can get Omega 3 from seeds the quantity advised to get the same intake makes it prohibitively costly.  This does not sit easily with me, but I am pulling out all the stops here (or clutching at straws?!).

5. Despite it's lemon flavour it is revolting and regurgitates on a regular basis (nice!) so between this and the thought of scabby feet it's fair to say I've spent rather a lot of today feeling a little sick!

London - 37
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 697

1.  A little story to start with today, courtesy of Jim Kirkwood...

" Once upon a time a psychiatrist had twin sons age eight.  One was an incurable pessimist - the other an incurable optimist.  Their father became alarmed and decided to try an experiment.  Christmas Eve he filled the pessimist's room with everything a boy could wish for; and he filled the optimist's room with horse manure.  Early next morning he went to observe their reactions.  The pessimist sat among the toys, books, clothes, sporting goods - just sat there - eyeing the presents suspiciously, trying to figure out what the catch was.  His father sighed and walked towards the other boy's room.  When he peeked in the door he saw him standing waist high in the middle of all the manure, shovelling it up in the air over his shoulder and laughing.  'Son' the father said, 'What's the matter with you? What are you so happy about?' The boy turned, still laughing and replied, 'Gee Dad, I figure with all this horse sh*t - there must be a pony!'"

2.  So, time to think about things from a different perspective...

3.  I was ignoring the issues I was having with my IT Bands and running regardless.  Perhaps I should be grateful for my foot injury as it has actually made me stop and take a break, and in the long run it might actually do me some good. (But it could do with getting better soon!)

4.  I am determined to remain optimistic.  It WILL all come good in the end.

5.  To hell with the pony.... I'm putting the theme tune to Black Beauty on my playlist!  Then if all else fails I can play it and gallop through the streets of London like Miranda Hart - Such Fun! (Fast forward to 32 minutes 11.....)

London - 38
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 696

1.  'Keep your goals in front of you and your fears behind you' read today's top tip from the Business Bakery.

2.  So with this in mind it was off to the gym to cycle away from them as fast as I could - not an easy task on a stationary bike!

3.  Half an hour, cardio workout - GO! Man it was harder than I thought it would be! To keep your heart rate at the predetermined level the resistance in the bike alters automatically to the point where I could barely push the pedals round! 

4.  Half an hour?! It felt like five! And then just as I was thrilled to reach the thirty minute mark, the bike launched itself into a five minute cool down phase... if I'd known that was going to happen I'd have set the bike for twenty five!

5.  Getting myself off at the end of it wasn't easy.  The second time on a bike in a week after not having been on one for possibly five years,  there are parts of me that are not happy!  

London - 39
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 695

1.  Sh*t forty days to go!!

2.  Today has not been a good day.  It is a week since I hurt my foot and it is showing no signs of recovery. 

3.  Car in the garage I had to walk four miles today and every step of it hurt. 

4.  I don't know what to do for the best. I've tried resting it as much as I can, now I'm wondering if I ought to try some manipulation see if I can't ease it off a bit.     This has lead to me standing on one of the dogs toys (you know which Mrs J!) and pushing my foot down into the ball at the end.  Said dog is less than impressed!

5.  I am however not alone in my injured state - several fellow Barnardo's runners are also suffering and shifting their focus from when they'll finish to just finishing!  I hope the Baranardo's supporters at the 24.5 mile mark have a lot of patience- they may be in for a long wait! 

London - 40
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 694

1.  Trying very hard to do my exercises twice a day as prescribed.

2.  But I think I am going to have to try and find a different time to do them other than first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  I'm just too tired when I finally make it up the stair to bed to face them.

3.  I thought exercise was supposed to kick start your metabolism and give you energy?! Mine seems to be draining out of me faster than I can replenish, despite my best efforts to rest!

4.  I have an Audioslave track on my playlist (made from someone else's running playlist) which contains the line "is this a cure or is this a disease?"

5.  The more I think about it, the more I think it is for this line that it was included in the first place - perhaps I'm not the first person for whom the line over whether running is doing me any good appears to be a little blurred!

London - 41
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 693 - SIX

1.  My subconscious is apparently unaware of my new fun runner status - I was awake at the crack of dawn worrying about my trainers and my foot and anything else I could think of to ensure I didn't get back to sleep.

2.  It wasn't much better after I got up.... should I go to the gym or should I rest?

3.  Eventually after much toing and froing I went! Whoo hooo a whole 10K on the cross trainer!

4.  I don't know if my foot survived the experience or not.... my toes went completely numb and the pain from loss of circulation masked anything else I might be feeling.

5.  How do you run wrong on a cross trainer for pity's sake?!  Heaven only knows what I was doing! Perhaps I'll switch to the exercise bike next time.  Although numb feet versus saddle sore? It's a close call!


London - 42
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 692

1.  There's only one problem with happily accepting my lot as a fun runner.... what do I write about?!

2.  The weather?! Well it was a lovely morning for parkrun today! Made a nice change to be volunteering in the sunshine, albeit still a little on the chilly side.

3.  I might not have much to write about but I seemed to spend the majority of the morning updating everyone on my new laissez-faire approach!

4.  Very supportive, the feedback from those who have run London seemed to be that it was one of the best days of their lives and just to go and enjoy it.

5.  That said, my foot is still not right, (because it's the left - Boom! Boom!) and if it doesn't improve soon I may need to give the costume idea some further thought.  Currently favouring some sort of crinoline dress that I could hide a scooter under, or at the very least a Heely so I could drag my left foot along in a grippy shoe slippy shoe curling kind of a way!

London - 43
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 691

1.  I received a text yesterday from my friend who was saying how sorry she was to hear about my injuries and how I don't deserve this.

2.  Actually I think I've got what was coming to me, this isn't an accident or bad luck.  I haven't put the cross training in.  It's a simple as that.

3.  I'm disappointed with myself.  I can joke about being lazy, disorganised, procrastinating, only doing the bits I like doing, always ending up at the same point and doing nothing about it, but actually getting to grips with the part of yourself that you don't like is hard.  But there's no escaping it.  It's my own doing.

4.  I'm just hoping that I've had a wake up call in enough time to do something about it.  It won't be ideal, but far better to spend the next six weeks trying to build up some strength than to have carried on regardless of any signals I was getting to slow down and be in this position with a fortnight to go.

5.   Walking the dog this afternoon and I had a little thought surface in my mind.... perhaps given that I clearly have shown no commitment to the work involved to turn me into anything like a serious endurance athlete I should stop being upset that my dreams of a sub five hour finish are evaporating before me.  If I haven't found the motivation in the past two years then it's unlikely that I'm ever going to. In which case perhaps I should accept that this is a once in a life time experience and get out and enjoy it - and who knows maybe even have some fun with the other fun runners.  I may stop short of a fancy dress costume though!

London - 44
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 690

1.  I may have misled you yesterday... I am hoping that I can do some running in the next six weeks, but I can't get my head around how I run twenty six miles if I haven't been for any long runs between now and then...

2.  But that's what's happening whether I can get my head round it or not!

3.  Meanwhile I am doing my exercises even if I think they're going to kill me...

4.  Which is why (for those of you not following this on Twitter) I tweeted requesting that, should I die, my cause of death is recorded as 'single leg partial squat with band!'  For the blissfully ignorant this involves standing on a step with a rubber band around my knees and doing single leg squats repeatedly.  One is hard, three sets of twelve on each leg HURTS!

5.  My poor backside doesn't quite know what's happening, especially when I then went on the exercise bike in the gym... OUCH! I may not know how I'm getting round a marathon, but keeping going may well be preferable to trying to sit down!

London - 45
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 689

1.  Yesterday when I was speaking to the Bionic Man he kept asking if I would be OK with not running.  When I woke up this morning I realised why....

2.  "HOW CAN I POSSIBLY RUN 26.2 MILES IN SIX WEEKS WHEN MY LAST LONG RUN WAS THREE WEEKS AGO AND I'M NOT RUNNING ANOTHER?!!!!

3.  I am distraught! I know I have to put my faith in the professionals that I've consulted and trust that I'll be OK, but it is so hard.  I just don't see how it is going to be possible to run a marathon if I haven't run in the weeks running up to it...

4.  The Business Bakery came up trumps again with their top tip - just when I needed it

5.  I ran too far too soon when I ran my twenty miles,  I was in a lot of pain, and I kept going.  I will do the same come the 24th April.  In the meantime I've done my exercises today. They hurt too! But I shall persevere. One day I will be pain free - but I may have to give up running first!

London - 46
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 688

1.  It's hard when where you're running looks like......

2.  To get your head around the fact that what you're training for will look like....

3.  But for a while on my run today I found myself actually beginning to really believe that it's happening!  The end is in sight!! And to celebrate I have cancelled my gym membership from the end of April and felt a HUGE weight lifting from my shoulders!  Six and a bit weeks... I can DO THIS!!! (but I have no idea how I cope in that number of people!)

4.  Home and time to play the hot and cold game with my feet... question is who would entertain Dougal whilst I sat with my feet in buckets of water?! No problem...

we'll play this whilst my feet are in the ice

and whilst I'm relaxing in hot water he can amuse himself!

5. My little bubble of excitement was soon burst.  Out for a walk this afternoon and my left foot started to become really really painful... I have now been prescribed a week off running, with lots of rehab work in the gym.  Just as I didn't take the first option offered to me earlier and cancel my membership with effect from today!

London - 47
Distance covered                     6 miles
Total Distance covered     1185.2 miles

Day 687

1.  I can't help but wish the marathon was sooner than it is...  like this weekend sooner!

2.  Then there would be nothing more I could do about it, except get out there and give it all I've got.

3.  As it is I have forty eight days to run, do my exercises, cross train, fine tune my nutrition and rest...

4.  Or alternatively I could avoid the majority of the above (like I have done today) and then fill my time worrying about not doing enough whilst doing nothing about it!

5.  I did make one small step in the right direction today - I decided to get my hydration levels back to where they were supposed to be with at least six pints of water a day.  I've got out of the habit of this and am really rubbish at keeping track, so desperate times calling for desperate measures I lined six pint glasses up on the window sill, ten green bottles style and took one away each time I finished the previous one!  First pint drunk before the school run, I'd to stop for petrol on the way home and found myself doing the wee wee dance at the pump! Think I might wait until after my run to start the process again tomorrow!

London - 48
Total Distance covered     1179.2 miles

Day 686 - SEVEN

1.  Nowhere on the BBC weather app did it mention flurries of snow or hailstones for this morning when I committed to running!

2.  I have read that you're supposed to run in the clothes you're planning on wearing for the marathon beforehand to make sure they are comfortable. Going to take a considerable upsurge in temperature before I try out my vest!

3.  Cold weather or otherwise - eight miles done! IT Band wasn't brilliant but got further than I did on Tuesday before it reared its familiar and somewhat ugly head! 

4.  My feet were a lot better however and I'm hoping will be better still following my 2 minutes in icy water, 2 minutes in hot treatment post run. Now I feel like an endurance athlete!

5.  Seven weeks till I run my first marathon.... Nine weeks till Mr L runs his first half!!!! Clearly motivated by my enthusiasm and cheery disposition over the past two years he's decided to up his distance.  Go Al! Very proud of you x 

London - 49
Distance covered                      8 miles
Total Distance covered     1179.2 miles

Day 685

1.  Fifty days! If I'd realised this when I got up I might have been tempted to run today, but as it was in my blissful ignorance I continued with my rest is most important mantra and didn't even volunteer at parkrun....

2.  I had hoped to be fast asleep for the majority of the morning, but the odds of that happening when I had the opportunity were too great and I was awake and up as normal, I just couldn't bring myself to go out.  Instead I asked myself what I would most like, and some time in the bathroom to pamper myself won.

3.  Mid way through my mini facial, there was a loud knock at the bathroom door - it was H with a nose bleed.... consequently my 'me' time was then spent blotting blood out of the carpet.  Oh joy!

4.  Hard watching Al and Dougal come home having the running moral high ground, harder still when I heard that sisterofMG750 had done 16.5 miles (go girl!) and then to add insult to injury C and Esty Favouriter donned their trainers and headed out...

5.  I'm hoping I can retain at least some of that feeling when I'm trying to find the motivation to go tomorrow morning!

London - 50
Total Distance covered     1171.2 miles

Day 684

1.  Lovely text conversation with my marathon running school friend this morning who's advice was as follows....

"Listen to your body.... if it's saying it's knackered then rest rest rest"

2.  I'm liking this advice!

3.  She also said that a 26 mile training plan was good for the head, but not for the body and I had a strong tenacious head anyway which will see me through.  I think being friends for forty years might qualify as knowing me well enough for me to believe her.

4.  This advice couldn't have come at a better time.  Firstly because it fits in with what the Bionic Man was saying yesterday and means I can focus on much more achievable distances between now and M-day, which will hopefully give my IT Bands time to recover a bit; and

5.  Secondly, because Al had a snow day off work which meant that my productive day turned into a guilt free, fire lit by lunchtime, curl up on the sofa day!

London - 51
Total Distance covered     1171.2 miles

Day 683

1.  I have been to see the Biomechanics Man, and although a little battered and bruised, I feel like a different woman!

2.  A true superhero I think it's only fitting that you are here on in renamed the Bionic Man!!
(But a little less strength whilst you worked on my quads would have been appreciated!)

3.  Unsurprisingly there are exercises that I can do in the remaining weeks that will help, and that the more I do them the more help they'll be, but the jury is still out on my shoes.

4.  However what was absolute music to my ears was being told that it makes no sense to run twenty three miles next weekend, and twenty six three weeks after that. Pushing myself to that extreme is putting undue stress on my body and I won't benefit from it.

5.  Can't help feel that it's a little late to discover that I've been following the wrong training plan - just as well you didn't bother sis!

London - 52
Total Distance covered     1171.2 miles

Day 682

1.  I ache from the waist down, practically all the time and I just want it all to stop.

2.  I have no interest in exercising and little interest in running.

3.  If the marathon were this Sunday I'd be fine.  I'd get out there and give it my best shot....

4.  But it's not.  It's seven and a bit weeks away and I don't know how to motivate myself to keep going.  I am prepared to run through the pain in London, but the thought of setting out here for a long run when I know it's not going to be pretty just fills me with dread, so I'd rather not think about it.

5.  Which is precisely what I did today.... and I had a lovely time, busily filled with non running related stuff I fell into a contented sleep on the sofa next to my dog at half past eight. There might be something in this approach!

London - 53
Total Distance covered     1171.2 miles

Day 681

1.  The wrath of sisterofMG750 clearly too scary to unleash - I ran today!  

2.  Actually it had more to do with finding myself sitting in the car in the supermarket car park this morning with a wee tear running down my cheek listening to Eddie Izzard battle his way through day eight of his twenty seven marathons in twenty seven days challenge for Sports Relief.  I think I can find it in me to run one.

3.  A week off and I have however reverted to being a rookie runner - I have a 10 degrees Celsius cut off point over which there is no need for a long sleeve top.  Not sure why then at nine degrees I felt it necessary to go out wearing long tights, two tops, a running jacket and headband!! 

4.  Didn't display much better judgment over what to do when my IT Band started giving me jip at around three miles - all I could think of was getting home as quickly as possible! 

5.  But in terms of the marathon I'd have covered the first five miles in forty five minutes giving me just over seven hours to do the remaining twenty one! There is hope yet!

London - 54
Distance covered 5 miles
Total Distance covered     1171.2 miles