4 consecutive years of marathon training - 3 spring, 1 autumn.
2012 was a long training season, starting with Wokingham Half (Feb) with nothing in the horizon, til Milton Keynes (July) and then...Pilgrim Trail Half (Sept). and finally...the crazy fortnight of Brussels Marathon and Palace to Palace Cycle is just around the corner...(please sponsor me here if you haven't already!)
Last weekend was a busy one, 'cross training' between lifting boxes, and a final 11-miler on sunday morning up to Shepparton-on-Thames, a route that I've come to know very well and this year, down to even the mile splits.
Yes, the milestones I have created for myself, the little excitements to look out for.
There's been many times I've looked:
-The Scout camp, doing all sorts of fun things at different times of the day.
-The families setting up volleyball nets on the meadow where my cows roam
-at the barge selling pots of jams by the shore, where it's moored - could I have stopped and paid and carried one home?
There wasn't the time, and logistics to do that on a weekend run.
The days are getting shorter, cooler, summer is almost over...
It's been lovely seeing the Thames Path over this summer, having missed the peak of it last year - the ups and downs, lessons learnt on hydration, nutrition, experimenting with different terrain, clothing choice, technology (or better, lack of) - some of my friends ask: will I ever get tired of it?
I can almost visualise the Brussels marathon expo like every other. Check-in, collect bibs, tour and last minute bargains on sports gear, early saturday night. mushy breakfast on sunday morning, bin bags before the start...and then run, run, run until the finishing line :)
and...the day after? now this year, I've got Palace to Palace bike ride to look forward to.
Miss Brompton has made a big difference in my life. Shortened (or more fun) commutes, efficient running of errands, the dual ego of a pedestrian/cyclist ....I've never cycled so much in my life. Have I followed the training plan for the 45-mile ride? I might've done my mileage only on feet, but every little bike ride counts. The legs and body feel rejuvenated even when my feet are sore and tired...a quick dash to the shops, to the station, makes it worth it (at the expense of carrying more luggage, and not looking as civilised when arriving at the office).and the friends one makes when I have "Sagey" Brompton in tow. The nods with fellow bike commuters, the race on unfolding our bikes at the station (I won :) ) makes it so much more fun - at the expense often of a proper seat...but less load on my back, and a (sometimes) good excuse to get home before one needs to use/rely on the lights.
The good thing is, after the 7th, I dont have to care about race time anymore, as the Palace to Palace on the 14th is not a race, its a journey through the city I love, the Palace I use to work just right down the road from....along to the back routes through the Parks that I love...potentially near my new home...and then to the working home of Her Majesty - Windsor, a place that holds much (touristic) memories and a destination for quite a few of my long runs and weekend bike rides.
Time to get some sleep - 3 more to go! But too much to do before setting off again on the commute!
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