Monster Month

According to the Runners World Marathon Training newsletter that I have just received this is Monster Month! This is the month when 1) your weekly mileage is at its peak 2) your motivation may be flagging and 3) you're most likely to get sidelined by an injury.

Mileagewise - each week brings a new first. Last week it was the first time I had run more than 16miles this week it is my first time past 18 miles. The really interesting thing (well to me anyway) is that each week I can almost feel the previous weeks training as that is the distance beyond which it starts to hurt. Last week 12 miles was the point at which I started to get really sore this week it was 16 miles. I wonder how much is psychological and how much is actually physical?

This week actually seems a lighter week as it is the Bath Half on Sunday. It will be an interesting run as I would, obviously, like to get under 2 hours. Last year I squeezed in by 25 seconds - but I don't have any change of gear at the moment. I was assuming that this was mainly down to the building blocks missed during January but the trusty newsletter says that this is likely to happen due to the level of current mileage.

On the motivation issue - whilst the 3 hours 22 minutes that it took me to run 18 miles did seem, at points, a long time I don't think I have yet hit a demotivation point. Primarily, I guess, because I am still happy that I am actually running and in with a strong chance of making the start line but also I started some serious fund raising last week and I have had such a great response from people that it can only inspire me to keep going.

As for injury - well you would have hoped that I would have learnt my lesson but I still find that I am having to reign myself in and not do that extra couple of miles to make up for missed runs over the last couple of months. I am trying to listen to my body - mostly it is saying Feed Me!

Which is my additional point 4 - The Hunger - I spend most of the time eating, peckish, hungry or just down and out queasy from hunger - the don't mention that when you apply!