Last Pre-London Long Run

Woo-hoo!  Yesterday morning I completed the final long training run ahead of the London marathon, which takes place on April 21st.  Just 3 weeks to go.  Bring it on!  I was joined on the long run by Pia and Jo, two of my Sweaty Betty runners who will also be toeing the line with me in London.  We were also joined by my mate Mike, who coaches the Sweatshop running group, and one of his runners, Lotte.

It was a bright and almost warm morning when we all met up, meaning there was some debate about how much clothes to wear.  We all settled for two top layers and we hoped it would get warmer as we ran.  Unfortunately, it seemed to get colder and colder.  So we haven't had any opportunity to do any long runs in anything approaching a warm day, which means we will all suffer if the marathon day turns out to be as warm as last year.

Mike, Lotte, me, Jo & Pia on the Roman Road

It was great to have two different people along for the run this week.  Jo and Pia had never met Lotte before, but the three of them instantly got chatting as if they'd known each other for years, which was nice to see, especially as they represent three different nationalities.

We had planned to run 22 miles together.  We covered the first 11 miles at a nice gentle pace and mostly staying together so that we could all chat whilst we ran.  This did mean the pace was way down at about 8 minutes 30 seconds to 9 minutes per mile, and it took us about 1 hour 42 minutes to cover the first 11 miles.  We did split up a little as we approached the half-way point, mainly because it got so cold we needed to work harder to generate some warmth.

Lotte approaches the half way point
and the highest part of the route at 110m above sea level

From the turn around point I suggested we ran the next six miles back at target marathon pace. Because the ground is so undulating and very muddy in parts, it was difficult to stick to marathon pace, but we mostly did o.k.  This did also mean six miles of solo running, followed by a wait of several minutes for everyone to re-group.

Jo reaches the end of the 6 mile marathon pace section

We then had a final 5 mile push to the finish.  We tried to stick together as group, but Mike started to suffer on the last section.  I decided to be a gentleman and left Mike to struggle on alone whilst I kept the ladies company.  Someone had to make sure they got back to the start point o.k!  Everyone had tired, heavy legs over the last few miles, but with less than three quarters of a mile to go I decided to see if I could get my legs to run at marathon pace, so I raised the anti and pushed on to the finish.  When I reached the end of the run I was surprised to see all three girls just a short distance behind me.

With Jo and Pia at the end of the 22 mile run.

It felt very satisfying to have completed the longest training run and to know we can start winding down the mileage over the next three weeks.  It also felt great to finish with a bit of a kick.  The legs are feeling good!  The girls were also looking very comfortable and I'm sure they are going to do well in London.  Mike struggled a little, but his training hasn't quite gone to plan.  Hopefully, yesterday's run has set him up to do well in London.

I've also started thinking ahead to August and the Swiss Ultra Marathon that I will be running.  Ruth wasn't aware of it at the time, but she bought me my first birthday present today.  It's recommended that you use walking sticks for the mountain marathons.  They help you climb the steep slopes by also using your arms, meaning your legs do 25% less work going up.  They can also be used for balance and stability when running downhill.  The choice of stick is quite bewildering.  There are so many on the market. Telescopic ones and collapsible ones, fixed length, quick adjusting or screw adjustment, rigid or with a shock absorbing spring in the end of the pole.  After some discussion I picked a pair that has cost Ruth £100 (I think I'm worth it).

They're a fixed length that can collapse down to quite a small little bundle to go into a backpack.  They are lighter and stronger than the telescopic sticks.  It does mean you have to buy the correct length stick for your height, but I like the idea of not having to think about how long they should be.  They are also really quick to open up and lock into place.  We're going to be in the Peak District next week, so I'm hoping I can get to try them on a large hill somewhere.  A nice early birthday present for me.