Marathon Mann

This is Helen and I sporting our Awesome “Man Up” and “Go Girl” medals for running 100 miles in May.  Helen took some persuading to take part because she doubted that she could make it but here we are with the bling to prove it.

So do we put ourselves though all this for trinkets?  Of course not!  There is something about setting a challenging goal and achieving it, an amazing feeling of accomplishment which is difficult to experience without really pushing yourself.  There is also that little dynamic where if you set a goal, you modify your behaviour to acheive it;  if you say you are going to do so many miles, you plan out your runs to acheive it, simple!  This is how Helen did 100 in May, she monitored her progress and modified the amount she ran to acheive the goal.

With my June 200 mile target I need to average 10 miles each running day (5 per week). One strategy is to do two runs in a day; today I did 7 miles first thing (5:00 am) and 3 this evening.  Two days into June and at 20 miles, I’m on target although I’m quite glad I don’t need to run tomorrow!  It’s a “rest” day which means strength excercises in the gym, probably the most important thing I’m doing to avoid injury!

This is going to be tough!

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah‬ ‭40:29‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

Well it’s blog-a-day time again as I try to keep up with Juneathon (same system I did with Janathon except it’s in June).  Now, those who know me will know that doing some excercise each day isn’t really going to push the envelope so I’ve set a new personal challenge.  Last month I ran a total of 129 miles which is my biggest monthly total for over 4 years which is a bit of a wake up call.  So, this month it’s got to be 200 which will be a personal record and actually quite challenging; if I run 5 days per week then that’s an average of 10 each day!

So, to keep on schedule for day 1 I had to do 10.  I am staying away from home today near the Metro Centre in Gateshead and one of my favourite running routes is the Derwent Walk Country Park.  This time I went further than usual, as far as far  as Gibside, a stunning National Trust property which was sadly closed when I arrived.  However I was rewarded by some amazing views which can be seen en route, it really is beautiful and only a short way out of Gateshead.

Given my 200 mile challenge, I will be up bright and early in the morning to have a run along the Tyne.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm‬ ‭23:2-3‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

Wow, what an awesome month May has been.  This month I have been able to submit TWO sets of evidence to Awesome Running Events because my amazing wife Helen has also managed to run 100 miles in May!  I’ve managed to get back into a rhythm following the London Marathon last month and have to date got 119 miles which equals what I did in December.  We can’t wait to receive our “his and hers” medals for our acheivement!

When I was looking back into my records over the last 7 years I have noticed my annual running “volume” has been in steady decline.  I always reckoned that my performance always seemed to be the best when I was doing the most mileage in training so it’s hardly surprising that I struggle to do what I used to be able to.  Therefore I have decided to do something about this and really push the boundaries!

My maximum monthly total was 167 back in 2010 and that year my (unbeaten) annual total was 1446.   I really fancy beating both of those targets in 2016, the first step being a 200 mile month.

I don’t have any races booked during June so I can totally focus on training and I have decided to try and do 200.  Hopefully by later on in the year I will be able to at the very least do better than I did last year.  I will obviously blog about how I get on and we will see if I am mad, or whether there is method in that madness.

‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)