56 days to go: Coughing, Spluttering but not Stuttering

Last week I talked a lot about how I had been skimping on sleep. This week I paid for that. Often it is not the point in which we push the envelope where the impact shows up, but usually in the near or medium future. Like overtraining for a few months could cause injuries a year later, or spending on your credit card can be an issue 6 months down the line when an emergency lands.

On Tuesday morning this week I woke up feeling pretty grotty. This is a TMI alert. My nose was running better than me and the colour of my snot was so bright yellow I was half waiting for the Ghostbusters to come blasting through my door and to snaffle up the ectoplasm that was leaking from my substantial nostrils.

My throat was sore and my sleep disrupted. Reap what you sow etc.

It meant once again I was adapting my training. Yet, I managed to do a decent quality week. I ran 75 miles. About 11 of those miles averaged around my target MP or quicker. That’s about 14.7% of my week.

It got me thinking. A really good marathon block is made up of a foundation of average to good weeks, topped off with some really strong weeks. The last couple of weeks for me could have been below average but in reality I have salvaged them by making smart decisions, moving things around and staying focused on the bigger picture. That is the A in ATAK right there. In fact, it is all of them.

Next week I have the Kirkcaldy Half Marathon. This will be good to test where I am at on MP at a longer distance but also to break up the block. I will still do some tough efforts during the week, with a long run on Thursday morning. Racing on fatigued legs is always good fun and in fact, I managed to catch the cold a week beforehand which is perfect timing, right?

Next week I am aiming for a good to great one. Let’s do this! Toronto is 8 weeks away. There’s a lot happening between now and then between work, life, training and the rest. Eyes on the prize.

Thanks for reading!
(Written by James Stewart)