Week 13

Let me just say, running a half marathon (13 miles) on a treadmill is a little dull... I guess I should thank the Discovery Channel for starting Shark Week as it made the 1hr 50m I was running pass quickly!

I had a great week. Obviously I completed my long run of 13 miles earlier today and also did 2 runs of 6 miles and 2 runs of 3 miles. I even managed to do my cross training on Monday, I went for a 30 minute bike ride.

In total I covered 31 miles this week which I am sure is the most I have ever done in a week. 13 miles is actually the longest I have EVER run so that I am feeling good afterwards is very pleasing, the training is going so well that even runs of this distance are not having any adverse affects on my body.

The mileage increases next week by another 3 miles. The long run will be 14 miles which will come in at just under 2 hours, I'll also do 2 'easy' runs of 7 miles a piece, one will be tempo which means starting at a slower pace and building to race pace before reducing down again.

The long runs are getting a little challenging in one way; my gym limits the time you can run on a treadmill to 60 minutes... If you remember, today's run took 1hr50m. So, to do this without an abnormal stop whilst I restart the machine I actually lent over to the machine next to me and got that going at my pace then, when machine # 1 was about to stop I literally hopped over to machine # 2 and kept going, there was barely a break in stride!

I am sure the other people on the gym must think I am crazy but, it works, I did it for my 11 mile run a couple of weeks ago also! I do stop my personal timer for a second or two whilst I switch machines but the important thing is that I barely break stride. I hope to be able to finish the marathon without stopping so it's important that I train that way also...

Next week will likely see the birth of Baby Cookie. I'll aim of course to keep my training going as much as possible but I can't see myself leaving the delivery room to do a quick run! "I'll be back in a couple of hours love, just going to run 14 miles, can you hang on until then...?!"

Week 12

Now knowing that my blog is an inspiration to so many I am pleased to write about another successful weeks training.

I hit my goals this week; 26 miles total with increases in Wed/Sat runs to 6 miles each. My 'long' run this weekend was actually significantly shorter than recently, only 8 miles. Shorter runs of this type will happen every 2 weeks now, I don't know the 'official' reason why we do this but I assume it's a rest before upping mileage once again.

This coming week sees an increase of 5 miles running. My Tuesday-Saturday runs are exactly the same as last week but, my long run is 13 miles! I have never run more than 13.1 miles (half marathon) so that should be fun! It will be the longest I have run since August last year but, I am intrigued to see how it goes as I didn't train anywhere near as hard as this for the half marathon so I expect to feel much better after this run.

There was a sad moment this week when my long term running partner passed... My iPod NANO bit the dust. After due time was spent grieving it occurred to me that I would now need to get a new NANO in order to continue monitoring my runs. But, up stepped Mrs. Cookie with an early birthday present, a Nike Sports Band! It works essentially the same as the iPod, it tracks my mileage, pace and calories so I was back in business straight away! Yay for Mrs. Cookie!!!

Week 11

All things considered, a good week. By that I mean that I slipped in the schedule a bit but, considering what we did this week, I am ok with it.

We moved into our new house Wednesday and things have been hectic ever since. Although we had movers come on Saturday to move the large items, by that time we have already moved 8 car loads of gear. By we, I mean me. Nicole was 37 weeks pregnant this weekend so we of course limited what she lifted.

I managed to keep schedule with all this going on up until Saturday when my 5 mile run was missed. Not for the want of trying I would add! I went to the Community Gym at 8.15pm only to find it had closed 15 minutes earlier, I was very disappointed.

The rest of the weeks schedule was hit so I still ran 22 miles this week. This weeks long run was 11 miles which was just run in a little over 1h 30 mins. Again, I felt good afterwards. The hip/calf strains felt better and whilst running 11 miles is hardly comfortable I feel good doing it.

Next weeks runs are quite different to this. I still run 3 miles both Tuesday and Thursday but my midweek tempo run increases to 6 miles, as does the Saturday run. My long run this week is only 8 miles, a step down. This happens a lot in my training, it's a 'rest' before moving to an even longer run than the previous week, it will be 13 miles.

So, 26 miles in total next week. Easy, right?

Week 10

Glad to report a successful week with all goals met. The week concluded with a 10 mile run yesterday which felt good, I have slight niggles in my left calf and right hip but largely I am feeling ok.

I am still running 5 times weekly. This weeks schedule has a minor increase, 11 miles on Sunday other than that it is exactly the same as week 9. This is however a crazy busy week in my personal life...

As I write I am in Phoenix airport waiting for my delayed flight to California. I'll be out there the next 2 days so will run tomorrow morning (3 miles) along the Pacific. I get back Wednesday, which is the day we close on our new home!!! The rest of the week, and weekend, will be very hectic with moving but I need to be sure to fit my runs in. Sunday's will be the real challenge, 11 miles is around 1hr30m running time which is a lot to dedicate when we will have so much going on.

With the training going so smoothly thus far I loathe to slip so I will make the additional effort to make sure I remain on schedule. Continuing on the personal theme, we are into the last 4 weeks of my wife's pregnancy, our daughter is due August 2nd! That will provide another challenge to maintaining schedule and I am prepared to let it slip as necessary around that time.

Some things are more important than running :)

Week 9

Well, I did it. The 'base' training is done, now we move onto the real work...!

I achieved my goal. This week I ran 24 miles in total which culminated in a good 9 mile run today. My 18 week 'Hal Higdon' plan begins tomorrow with cross training but the goal was to be able to run 10 miles on (next Sunday) July 6th, and that will not be a problem after building my base up to 9 miles already.

It's still hot in Phoenix. Regularly we reach 110f in the daytime which means outdoor running is restricted to early morning (before the sun rises and when the previous days heat has left the pavement). I am still running the loop of our condo complex but no more than 3 miles at a time. The short runs of Tuesday/Thursday start increasing gradually now to 6 miles but over several weeks, I will continue to do those runs outdoors.

I need to hit the pavement more as I progress and plan to train the next 8 weeks largely indoor, then take the training outside for September/October when it starts getting cooler. It's clearly always going to be a challenge to train in the summer months but, it is what it is. Running after the marathon will be great! 60/70f during the day, cooler in the mornings of course, you may even see the running tights come out again :)

So, tomorrow is another 'day 1' of sorts. 126 days to go!

Week 8

A good week but, as expected Wednesday's run suffered. Despite waking at 5am I was unable to fit my 4.5 mile run in before leaving for California and only returned at 9pm. Suffice to say I was too tired to do the run after that!

Otherwise, it was a good week. I ran Tuesday and Thursday morning, 3 miles outside both times and then a strong 8 miler on Saturday followed by a 4 mile tempo run on Sunday.

It's funny that, despite missing just one run I felt like I had not run much at all this week, until the 12 miles in the last 2 days anyway! I guess that is a good sign and it will ensure that I stay on schedule as the weeks progress.

Next week is my last 'building' week before I start my 18 week training program. I am progressing as planned. I wanted to be comfortable with a 10 mile long run that first week and, whilst 8 miles in the longest I have run yet I felt very strong and am sure I could have run 2 more already.

The new shoes are working out great. I ran in them 3 times this week for 10 miles total and have no aches and pains! It's amazing how a new pair of shoes makes a difference to my joints, my knees start to ache when my shoes are on the way out...

My good friend Tim in NY suggested a great web site to track my shoe 'usage'. http://www.runnersworld.com/ provides a training log so I am able to track my runs. After every run I update the time, the route, the temperature and, importantly, the shoes I ran in! This then keeps a running (pun) total of how far I have run so I can ensure to switch out my shoes at the right times.

I am really pleased with how strong I am feeling, our lifestyle is hectic to say the least at the moment and will only be getting more so in the coming weeks. If I can continue to maintain my schedule and strength through the summer we should be looking good for November.

Week 7

My best week yet! 22.5 miles covered including a solid 7m run on Saturday and 3 runs at 3miles + outside. Things are definitely going well, I am feeling strong and aside from a few aches and pains in my legs I am injury free.

My mileage increases another 1.5 miles this week and will continue that way for the next 3 weeks until I start my formal training on June 30th.

The 'heat is on' in Arizona... We hit 110f for the first time today and the lows are now over 80f. My outdoor runs are of course in the mornings, it is way too hot in the evening and I can take advantage of the shade in the complex we are living in right now.

I am a little concerned that I will let my training slip this week, on Wednesday in particular. I am travelling to California with work for the day, leaving at 6.30am and not returning until after 8pm. Not sure when I will fit that days run in, it's 4.5 miles so will take around 35 minutes, either an early morning or a late night!

I got my new shoes today, my wifey tells me they look like a lizard, she's kind of got a point. You'll definitely see me coming :)