This was a good week of training, with a number of "best yet"s achieved. Longest run to date - 2:45 and 12.2 miles; highest weekly mileage - 28.5; highest monthly mileage - 100 miles in November. On the fundraising side, a couple more donations were made after I posted last week's blog (Thank You!) and the total has now passed £1,200. I also took delivery of my fundraising pack from Cancer Research UK. This includes my running top, sponsor form, information about CRUK's work and plenty of hints and tips about both training and fundraising.
Now you may or may not have noticed this, but for several weeks my confidence about the challenge which still lies ahead has been a bit wobbly. As the long runs continue to increase, and I've dealt with the resulting tiredness, it sometimes seemed as if I would accept any excuse to cut a run short, or to take walk breaks. There have been several weeks when I didn't reach the total number of miles I was aiming for.
I have written on here that this is reasonable, and not a problem -and that's absolutely true. The body takes time to adapt, and it does so while you are resting. While there are rules of thumb about the rate at which runners increase their mileage, the fact is that we are all different; every runner will have an optimum rate of progression, and it's to some extent a matter of trial and error to discover that. The first rule of training is Don't Get Injured - and slowing down and taking extra rest when you need it are vital to avoid getting hurt. All of the above is logical, and true, and I know it. But at the same time, there has been a little voice inside telling me that I'm falling short, that it's too hard, and I'm not going to be able to do it.
Confidence is so important. Someone once said that whether you believe you can, or believe you can't, you are probably right. Clearly there are physical limits to what we can do - for example, I will never run a 4-minute mile, because I'm the wrong sex and too old, even if I had the genetic potential to be an elite runner (which I probably don't). But there *is* a maximum speed I could potentially run at, and how close I get to it depends entirely on how well I train and how hard I try. And that depends on how much I believe I can do it - or want to do it. The running gurus believe that most healthy adults could, if they wanted to and they trained for it, run a marathon. Most people don't want to. And that's fine - there are lots of challenges I have no desire to attempt.
I had thought that I would reach 30 miles per week by the end of November and then maintain at least that through December. I haven't quite managed it. But do you know what? That's only a matter of timescale - I'm going to have a go at it in this coming week, and even if I don't quite manage it, it will only be another week or two before I do. I have felt so much better this week - even after running 12.2 miles on Monday, I ran 5.1 on Wednesday and 5.9 on Thursday, and felt strong and energetic. I am adapting. I am getting fitter.
Confidence is both cause and effect. It is so much easier to make the effort required to do something when you believe you can do it. And having done it, you then *know* you can do it, and believing you can do the next level becomes much easier. Having run 12.2 mile in just under 2 hrs 46 minutes, I have no problem believing that I can run for 3 hours, or that I can run half marathon distance. I intend to do one or ideally both of those on Monday.
In 19 weeks time, I shall be down in London, preparing for the biggest challenge of my life. Or will I? It seems to me that the training is as much of a challenge as the day itself - if not more so. By the time I get to London, a 12 mile run will be an easy workout, and I should have several 20 mile runs under my belt. All the logic and experience and running wisdom says that running the marathon - assuming I'm content to take it slowly - will then be demanding, but perfectly achievable. But getting out there day after day, week after week, as the weather gets cold and wet and dark, and time after time going further than I have ever gone - THAT is a challenge. Once I have done that - and I will - running a marathon will be a breeze.
I hope :)
Saturday 30 November 2013
Saturday 23 November 2013
Slow, Slow, Quick Quick, Slow
This was a lighter week in terms of running mileage, with only 17 miles clocked up. I did however do much of that faster than I normally do - more about that later - and also walked the 7.5 miles around Carsington Water with David yesterday. I've done two talks this week (one about training for the marathon, the other about our pilgrimage to the Holy Land earlier this year), and both groups gave a donation to Cancer Research as a thank you. I also picked up some more sponsorship from individuals, and the fundraising total now stands at a magnificent £1,141 - 45% of the way towards my target.
Running pace is a topic of endless fascination for me. If it's of no interest to you, you may prefer to skip the rest of this blog. Most distance runners think about their pace in minutes per mile. The "four minute mile" is famous, but that sort of pace is restricted to elite runners and shorter distances. As a general rule, you can assume that men run faster than women, younger people run faster than older ones, and the longer the distance, the slower the pace. For comparison purposes, here are some world record times and the corresponding paces:
Marathon (men) - 2:03:23 (4:43)
Marathon (women) - 2:15:25 (5:10)
Of course, those are the times for senior athletes, i.e. those aged between 20 and 34 (for women) or 39 (for men). At 35, female athletes are classed as veterans.... but only at 40 for men... funny, that. By the time I run London, I will be 50, so the appropriate comparison is with 50-year-old women:
Marathon 2:31:05 (5:46)
10K 35:05 (5:40)
5K 16:51 (5:26)
My best ever 5K time (so far) is 31.04, which equates to 9:57 per mile, and my best mile within that was run in 9:27. So you see, I am unlikely to be competing in the trials for the 2016 Olympics! But that really doesn't matter - I run for enjoyment, for my health, and now of course, to raise money for Cancer Research.
The other thing to bear in mind is that there is a big difference between training and racing. Most of my runs are considerably slower than my best, which is what is generally advised. Running fast takes too much out of you to do it all the time. I do my long runs at around 13:00 - 13:30 pace and my medium length ones (4-6 miles) at 12:00 - 13:00, depending on the terrain and how fresh or tired I am feeling.
On Monday morning, I was feeling quite fresh but was short of time, so I only ran 3.8 miles, but did so at a pace of 11:54. My 5.2 miles on Thursday were run at 12:42 pace. I went to the gym twice, and both times
did a spell on the treadmill. One of these was an intervals session, where I ran 1 minute bursts at 10:00 pace, with 2 minutes of jogging in between. At Parkrun this morning I was out for a gentle run, and kept company with a lady who is slower than me. The first 3 miles were run in 11:27, 12:02 and 11:56 respectively. But for the last little bit - the final 0.1 miles - I did my best impersonation of a sprint, running at a pace of 7:50. The world record holder does a full 26.2 miles at more than 2 minutes per mile faster than what I managed for a couple of hundred yards....
The rule of thumb is that long runs should be done 90 seconds - 2 minutes per mile slower than your intended marathon pace. This makes perfect sense - a training run is a training run, and at the end of it, I need to get on with my day. A race is a race, and after it there is time to rest and recuperate. Running my long runs at 13:30, it's reasonable to think in terms of 12 minutes per mile as my marathon pace, which would see me finish in 5 hrs 15 minutes. It remains to be seen whether, by April, I will be able to maintain that. My goal, really, is to finish and still feel human.
And, to do that, I need to continue the training. On Monday, I intend to run (slowly!) for 2 hours 40 minutes. I should cover around 12 miles in that time. Before Christmas, I should have run a little over half marathon distance. Little by little, I edge closer. The support and encouragement I get from various quarters is a big help - I can't let you all down now!
Running pace is a topic of endless fascination for me. If it's of no interest to you, you may prefer to skip the rest of this blog. Most distance runners think about their pace in minutes per mile. The "four minute mile" is famous, but that sort of pace is restricted to elite runners and shorter distances. As a general rule, you can assume that men run faster than women, younger people run faster than older ones, and the longer the distance, the slower the pace. For comparison purposes, here are some world record times and the corresponding paces:
Marathon (men) - 2:03:23 (4:43)
Marathon (women) - 2:15:25 (5:10)
Of course, those are the times for senior athletes, i.e. those aged between 20 and 34 (for women) or 39 (for men). At 35, female athletes are classed as veterans.... but only at 40 for men... funny, that. By the time I run London, I will be 50, so the appropriate comparison is with 50-year-old women:
Marathon 2:31:05 (5:46)
10K 35:05 (5:40)
5K 16:51 (5:26)
My best ever 5K time (so far) is 31.04, which equates to 9:57 per mile, and my best mile within that was run in 9:27. So you see, I am unlikely to be competing in the trials for the 2016 Olympics! But that really doesn't matter - I run for enjoyment, for my health, and now of course, to raise money for Cancer Research.
The other thing to bear in mind is that there is a big difference between training and racing. Most of my runs are considerably slower than my best, which is what is generally advised. Running fast takes too much out of you to do it all the time. I do my long runs at around 13:00 - 13:30 pace and my medium length ones (4-6 miles) at 12:00 - 13:00, depending on the terrain and how fresh or tired I am feeling.
On Monday morning, I was feeling quite fresh but was short of time, so I only ran 3.8 miles, but did so at a pace of 11:54. My 5.2 miles on Thursday were run at 12:42 pace. I went to the gym twice, and both times
did a spell on the treadmill. One of these was an intervals session, where I ran 1 minute bursts at 10:00 pace, with 2 minutes of jogging in between. At Parkrun this morning I was out for a gentle run, and kept company with a lady who is slower than me. The first 3 miles were run in 11:27, 12:02 and 11:56 respectively. But for the last little bit - the final 0.1 miles - I did my best impersonation of a sprint, running at a pace of 7:50. The world record holder does a full 26.2 miles at more than 2 minutes per mile faster than what I managed for a couple of hundred yards....
The rule of thumb is that long runs should be done 90 seconds - 2 minutes per mile slower than your intended marathon pace. This makes perfect sense - a training run is a training run, and at the end of it, I need to get on with my day. A race is a race, and after it there is time to rest and recuperate. Running my long runs at 13:30, it's reasonable to think in terms of 12 minutes per mile as my marathon pace, which would see me finish in 5 hrs 15 minutes. It remains to be seen whether, by April, I will be able to maintain that. My goal, really, is to finish and still feel human.
And, to do that, I need to continue the training. On Monday, I intend to run (slowly!) for 2 hours 40 minutes. I should cover around 12 miles in that time. Before Christmas, I should have run a little over half marathon distance. Little by little, I edge closer. The support and encouragement I get from various quarters is a big help - I can't let you all down now!
Saturday 16 November 2013
Differently Shaped Week
This week I met my long run target of 2 hours 30 minutes, covering 11.2 miles in that time. My total mileage for the week was 24. No more cash raised this week, but I received a phone call from Cancer Research on Friday, asking me how my training and fundraising were going. It is nice to have that support - but it does make it all feel rather real! The first question was, "How do you feel about running a marathon?" My answer was: "Excited and terrified!"
I had morning appointments on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and fitting in my long run before them would have meant getting up very early and running in the dark. I'm dedicated - but we all have our limits! There is a distinct lack of street lighting around Blidworth, which would mean a choice between wearing a head torch or running laps of the mining estate. On balance, I elected to leave my long run until Thursday. My run on Monday in particular was a joy. Although I had run quite briskly at parkrun on Saturday, I felt quite fresh. It was a glorious morning for running - bright, crisp and dry. I ran just under 6 miles, thoroughly enjoyed it, and felt invigorated afterwards.
For my long run, I did a circular route taking in Rainworth, the MARR road, Harlow Wood, Thieves Wood, Ravenshead and Ricket Lane. This involved a certain amount of mud, and also getting slightly lost, as I don't know the paths through Harlow Wood terribly well - but I knew I was never far from civilisation, and if I kept going in one direction for long enough, I would hit a road. In the event, I came out onto the A60 at the point I had intended to, but just didn't take the most direct route to get there.
As well as being the cornerstone of endurance training, long runs are important opportunities to try out the kit you intend to wear on race day. A garment which appears to fit perfectly well on a 5 mile run, can turn out to have edges or seams which, given long enough, will chafe to the point of bleeding. Race day is not the time to try out new things! Running 26 miles without taking on water or calories is not recommended - but you need to practice drinking and find out what foodstuffs you can tolerate. Some runners suffer from cramps and the delightfully named "runner's trots" if they eat the wrong thing. Many runners use carbohydrate gels, which are quickly absorbed - but there's no reason why you can't just use ordinary food. So, I have started to experiment. This week I consumed a packet of yogurt-coated raisins, and they seemed to do the trick nicely, with no unfortunate side effects.
I deliberately paced my long run slightly slower than last week, averaging 13:30 minutes per mile. This hides a lot of variability - I was practically whizzing along the MARR road at around 12 minutes per mile, and while avoiding tree roots and boggy bits in Harlow Wood, slowed to over 16 minutes per mile. I don't attempt to run while eating - so I had a few short walking breaks.
I was - of course - tired after this run, and had a good (and long!) night's sleep on Thursday. But I had very little stiffness the following day, which I take to be a good sign. I had volunteered to be the Tail Runner at parkrun this morning, which means deliberately running at the back of the pack, to make sure everyone gets round safely. This morning I accompanied a lady who was running for only the second time, and encouraged her to run for a greater proportion of the time, as she knocked 45 seconds off her time.
Having done my long run so late in the week, I won't be doing one on Monday - I shall leave it till the week after. So, in this coming week, I will run 4 times, aiming to cover over 20-25 miles in total. Then the following week, I'll continue the build-up with a long run of 2 hrs 40 minutes, and hopefully getting my total into the upper twenties.
When I think back to 6 months ago - I was just preparing to run my first race, a 10K trail race at Clumber Park, which took place on 18th May. At that point, the furthest I had run was a little over 5 miles, and the 6.1 miles of the race was an endurance challenge. Now, 6.1 miles is a comfortable mid-week run. How times change!
I had morning appointments on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and fitting in my long run before them would have meant getting up very early and running in the dark. I'm dedicated - but we all have our limits! There is a distinct lack of street lighting around Blidworth, which would mean a choice between wearing a head torch or running laps of the mining estate. On balance, I elected to leave my long run until Thursday. My run on Monday in particular was a joy. Although I had run quite briskly at parkrun on Saturday, I felt quite fresh. It was a glorious morning for running - bright, crisp and dry. I ran just under 6 miles, thoroughly enjoyed it, and felt invigorated afterwards.
For my long run, I did a circular route taking in Rainworth, the MARR road, Harlow Wood, Thieves Wood, Ravenshead and Ricket Lane. This involved a certain amount of mud, and also getting slightly lost, as I don't know the paths through Harlow Wood terribly well - but I knew I was never far from civilisation, and if I kept going in one direction for long enough, I would hit a road. In the event, I came out onto the A60 at the point I had intended to, but just didn't take the most direct route to get there.
As well as being the cornerstone of endurance training, long runs are important opportunities to try out the kit you intend to wear on race day. A garment which appears to fit perfectly well on a 5 mile run, can turn out to have edges or seams which, given long enough, will chafe to the point of bleeding. Race day is not the time to try out new things! Running 26 miles without taking on water or calories is not recommended - but you need to practice drinking and find out what foodstuffs you can tolerate. Some runners suffer from cramps and the delightfully named "runner's trots" if they eat the wrong thing. Many runners use carbohydrate gels, which are quickly absorbed - but there's no reason why you can't just use ordinary food. So, I have started to experiment. This week I consumed a packet of yogurt-coated raisins, and they seemed to do the trick nicely, with no unfortunate side effects.
I deliberately paced my long run slightly slower than last week, averaging 13:30 minutes per mile. This hides a lot of variability - I was practically whizzing along the MARR road at around 12 minutes per mile, and while avoiding tree roots and boggy bits in Harlow Wood, slowed to over 16 minutes per mile. I don't attempt to run while eating - so I had a few short walking breaks.
I was - of course - tired after this run, and had a good (and long!) night's sleep on Thursday. But I had very little stiffness the following day, which I take to be a good sign. I had volunteered to be the Tail Runner at parkrun this morning, which means deliberately running at the back of the pack, to make sure everyone gets round safely. This morning I accompanied a lady who was running for only the second time, and encouraged her to run for a greater proportion of the time, as she knocked 45 seconds off her time.
Having done my long run so late in the week, I won't be doing one on Monday - I shall leave it till the week after. So, in this coming week, I will run 4 times, aiming to cover over 20-25 miles in total. Then the following week, I'll continue the build-up with a long run of 2 hrs 40 minutes, and hopefully getting my total into the upper twenties.
When I think back to 6 months ago - I was just preparing to run my first race, a 10K trail race at Clumber Park, which took place on 18th May. At that point, the furthest I had run was a little over 5 miles, and the 6.1 miles of the race was an endurance challenge. Now, 6.1 miles is a comfortable mid-week run. How times change!
Saturday 9 November 2013
Physio and Parkrun
This week's longest run on Monday lasted 2 hrs 20 minutes, and covered 10.6 miles. My total mileage for the week was 24, and I did a treadmill test yesterday which revealed a further increase in the pace I can maintain for a given heart rate. Fundraising received a massive boost this week - not only did two people succumb to my brazen plea for donations last week to get me over the £500 line (thank you!), but the Phoenix Community Outreach Project made a donation of £500 towards my effort. Together with a donation I received at a church event today, the total now stands at a magnificent £1021.
On Monday afternoon I went to see a sports physio. The biggest factor in training is - well - being able to train consistently and regularly. And that means staying fit enough to run. I asked the physio to advise on my ankle, which is still not back to 100%, and also to undertake some preventive maintenance on the various bits which niggle and ache. He did some ultrasound treatment on my ankle - to break down scar tissue - and gave me some exercises to strengthen it. I also have stretches to do for my hamstrings, which are extremely tight, some exercises for my shoulder, and advice about use of the foam roller. I'm supposed to do the hamstring stretches 6 times a day.... I'm doing what I can.
Oh, and he recommended a different sort of support to wear on my ankle when running, and that I should put my foot in a bucket of iced water for 10-15 minutes when I get in. Mmm...... not tried that yet.....
My Wednesday and Thursday runs were between 4 and 4.5 miles, and run at a slower pace than the equivalent 3 weeks ago. This left me feeling considerably less tired, which has to be a good thing. I think I may do better to go a bit slower on my long run, though - because my shorter runs were slower than my long run, and that's the wrong way round! However, it did mean that by this morning I was feeling pretty strong when I arrived for parkrun.
Parkrun is an absolutely wonderful idea - a free-to-enter timed 5K run, organised by volunteers, which takes place in parks up and down the country every Saturday morning. The Mansfield run takes place in the Manor Sports Complex in Mansfield Woodhouse and I've taken part every Saturday that I wasn't otherwise engaged since I discovered it in April. It is a fantastic atmosphere - very inclusive and encouraging, and it sometimes seems that the slowest runners get the biggest cheers. Although I do most of my running alone - and I like it that way - parkrun gives me a social aspect to my running which I really enjoy.
This morning was perfect weather for running it was cold, but dry and bright. I did a progressive run - aiming to do each mile slightly faster than the last. I ended up with a time of 32:19, which is the fastest I have run since I set my best time of 31:04 back in July. Mind you, as the evening wears on, I am remembering something I had forgotten about since the sprained ankle forced me to slow down: running faster is harder work, and therefore leaves you feeling stiffer! I am more stiff after this morning's 5K (3.1 miles) than after my 10.6 mile long run on Monday.
I mentioned last week that I was going to start introducing some faster running. Running parkrun at pace is one way of doing that. Another would be to do a Fartlek session. Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning "speed play", and all it involves is changing the speed at which you run, but in an unstructured way. For example, you might be running along at a gentle pace, spot a tree about 200 yards ahead, and decide to run fast until you reach it. Then you slow down, until you feel like going hard again. I intend to do a maximum of one faster session each week.
Well, that's it for this week. Thanks for reading, and all the encouragement and support you give me in person.
On Monday afternoon I went to see a sports physio. The biggest factor in training is - well - being able to train consistently and regularly. And that means staying fit enough to run. I asked the physio to advise on my ankle, which is still not back to 100%, and also to undertake some preventive maintenance on the various bits which niggle and ache. He did some ultrasound treatment on my ankle - to break down scar tissue - and gave me some exercises to strengthen it. I also have stretches to do for my hamstrings, which are extremely tight, some exercises for my shoulder, and advice about use of the foam roller. I'm supposed to do the hamstring stretches 6 times a day.... I'm doing what I can.
Oh, and he recommended a different sort of support to wear on my ankle when running, and that I should put my foot in a bucket of iced water for 10-15 minutes when I get in. Mmm...... not tried that yet.....
My Wednesday and Thursday runs were between 4 and 4.5 miles, and run at a slower pace than the equivalent 3 weeks ago. This left me feeling considerably less tired, which has to be a good thing. I think I may do better to go a bit slower on my long run, though - because my shorter runs were slower than my long run, and that's the wrong way round! However, it did mean that by this morning I was feeling pretty strong when I arrived for parkrun.
Parkrun is an absolutely wonderful idea - a free-to-enter timed 5K run, organised by volunteers, which takes place in parks up and down the country every Saturday morning. The Mansfield run takes place in the Manor Sports Complex in Mansfield Woodhouse and I've taken part every Saturday that I wasn't otherwise engaged since I discovered it in April. It is a fantastic atmosphere - very inclusive and encouraging, and it sometimes seems that the slowest runners get the biggest cheers. Although I do most of my running alone - and I like it that way - parkrun gives me a social aspect to my running which I really enjoy.
This morning was perfect weather for running it was cold, but dry and bright. I did a progressive run - aiming to do each mile slightly faster than the last. I ended up with a time of 32:19, which is the fastest I have run since I set my best time of 31:04 back in July. Mind you, as the evening wears on, I am remembering something I had forgotten about since the sprained ankle forced me to slow down: running faster is harder work, and therefore leaves you feeling stiffer! I am more stiff after this morning's 5K (3.1 miles) than after my 10.6 mile long run on Monday.
I mentioned last week that I was going to start introducing some faster running. Running parkrun at pace is one way of doing that. Another would be to do a Fartlek session. Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning "speed play", and all it involves is changing the speed at which you run, but in an unstructured way. For example, you might be running along at a gentle pace, spot a tree about 200 yards ahead, and decide to run fast until you reach it. Then you slow down, until you feel like going hard again. I intend to do a maximum of one faster session each week.
Well, that's it for this week. Thanks for reading, and all the encouragement and support you give me in person.
Friday 1 November 2013
Cross Training
Executive summary: over the past not-quite two weeks, I have been running 5 times, and covered a total of 22 miles. That's less than I did in one week previously. However, this is not a concern, for two reasons. Firstly, as mentioned previously, periods of effort need to be interspersed with periods of rest or lower amounts of effort. And secondly, I have been doing a lot of cross-training.
Cross-training is any sort of physical activity other than the main thing you are training for. So in my case, cross-training is any exercise other than running. Every time I go to the gym and lift weights, do planks or squats, I am cross-training. But over the past week or so I have been cross-training in the Lake District.
We have spent a week at a B&B in Keswick, and each day apart from one, we went for a walk. Our shortest walk was 5 miles (and 2 hours), the longest 8.5 miles (and 5 hours). Now, the Lake District has 2 key characteristics: it is hilly, and it is wet. Hilly: our walk up Grizedale Pike involved about 750m of ascent. Wet: we have the gear, but on 2 occasions, everything got wet. And I do mean everything :) But as some of my running friends remind me - skin is waterproof, and after a hot shower and some restorative cake, we were none the worse for our experiences.
Hill walking is helpful for several reasons. It is endurance training, but the hills are also good for leg strength, and the uneven terrain challenges your stability and balance. And if it challenges you, it strengthens you. Plus, of course, there are fantastic views - at least when the cloud clears :)
This morning, I went out for a gentle 5 miles, gearing up for a return to full-on training next week. I ran a total of 80 miles during October, and am targeting 100 miles during November. I will be pushing up the duration of my longest run - going by time, now, rather than distance - but I should still be running over 10 miles several times during the month. I'm also going to start introducing a bit of faster running - more about that next time.
And the fundraising.... well a friend has said she is going to hold an At Home in the Spring, and divide the proceeds between my efforts and Framework, a charity working with homeless people in Nottinghamshire. I've also had an offer to publicise my challenge at events at a church in our circuit. But in terms of actual donations.... no change since last time. Anyone fancy getting me over that £500 barrier with a £4 donation?
Have a good week, everyone. I'll be back next weekend, hopefully with another 25 miles or so under my belt.
Cross-training is any sort of physical activity other than the main thing you are training for. So in my case, cross-training is any exercise other than running. Every time I go to the gym and lift weights, do planks or squats, I am cross-training. But over the past week or so I have been cross-training in the Lake District.
We have spent a week at a B&B in Keswick, and each day apart from one, we went for a walk. Our shortest walk was 5 miles (and 2 hours), the longest 8.5 miles (and 5 hours). Now, the Lake District has 2 key characteristics: it is hilly, and it is wet. Hilly: our walk up Grizedale Pike involved about 750m of ascent. Wet: we have the gear, but on 2 occasions, everything got wet. And I do mean everything :) But as some of my running friends remind me - skin is waterproof, and after a hot shower and some restorative cake, we were none the worse for our experiences.
Hill walking is helpful for several reasons. It is endurance training, but the hills are also good for leg strength, and the uneven terrain challenges your stability and balance. And if it challenges you, it strengthens you. Plus, of course, there are fantastic views - at least when the cloud clears :)
This morning, I went out for a gentle 5 miles, gearing up for a return to full-on training next week. I ran a total of 80 miles during October, and am targeting 100 miles during November. I will be pushing up the duration of my longest run - going by time, now, rather than distance - but I should still be running over 10 miles several times during the month. I'm also going to start introducing a bit of faster running - more about that next time.
And the fundraising.... well a friend has said she is going to hold an At Home in the Spring, and divide the proceeds between my efforts and Framework, a charity working with homeless people in Nottinghamshire. I've also had an offer to publicise my challenge at events at a church in our circuit. But in terms of actual donations.... no change since last time. Anyone fancy getting me over that £500 barrier with a £4 donation?
Have a good week, everyone. I'll be back next weekend, hopefully with another 25 miles or so under my belt.
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