Muddy Puddles!

12 weeks to go and I'm happy to report that the training is going really well so far, despite the rain that has seemed to have reached biblical proportions in this part of South West London

It's a good thing I enjoy cross-country and trail running, and it's also fortunate that apparently it's actually good for my running performance in general.   According to some of the articles I have read on the internet, my recent time spent running in club cross country races or training on off road trails should have multiple benefits.  Running up muddy hills in the pouring rain (as I did in the Surrey Cross Country Championships earlier this month) is supposedly good for my psychological strength in pushing myself on when my legs want to give up, and I am also told that running off road is good for my legs as it helps me “recruit more of the smaller, more stabilizing muscles that we rely on for proprioception and balance, especially around the ankles".

I don't know about all the scientific evidence, what I do know is that coming home, caked in mud after a morning splashing around in muddy puddles is guaranteed to bring out your inner child and put a grin on your face!

Apart from cross country racing and trail running I have been continue to focus on my technical training and I'm starting to really enjoy the different interval and speed work sessions.  They seem grueling at the time but I'm normally buzzing afterwards with a sense of achievement and I think they are paying off.  Definitely in terms of my endurance strength - I surprised myself this weekend by clocking 22 miles on my long run.  I had not actually intended to go that far, but my legs felt good and it was just great to be out despite the pouring rain so I took the long route home from Richmond Park.  I could have kept going but I was worried about being missed at home .  However when I walked through the door my husband didn't bat an eyelid - I think nothing surprises him any more!

I have been steadily upping my mileage and with my very hectic life I have been forced to be creative with how I can fit those additional miles into my very time limited schedule.  I managed a 12 miler last week by deciding to run to the eye hospital to get Daisy's glasses repaired and I have also been researching running back packs so that I can do a few more runs back from meetings or appointments.  It is amazing how you can begin to add in those extra miles - it's just under 3 miles to where the running club meet for training so running there and back adds an additional 6 miles to my weekly total in one session alone.

I am aware that with ramping up my mileage and the speed work (and my status as a veteran runner!) I am putting myself at risk of injury so I have also been making sure I have been doing plenty of stretching (when I remember) and trying to focus on my core strengthening exercises, I'll never have a six pack but at least I can now hold the plank for 90 seconds - not bad for a mum of four!

We are nearly in February and it's scary how the weeks are ticking by.  I have a few races lined up in February and March so that I can practice my pacing and nutrition plans and then before I know it, it will be time to taper - it's all becoming very real and very close now!