Less than 3 weeks to go until marathon day and training has been going well.
Due to my geographical location making wednesday night attendance at Dallam somewhat difficult, I was forced to join a second running club, the Tunbridge Wells Harriers. They are a friendly club although quite large and unweildy, so regrouping is not in practice. Instead the route is explained before the run and everyone sets off as a big mob. Hectic. I learnt quite quickly that you have to stick to a local to avoid getting lost. I have also been doing some track training with them.
All good fun, but there has been a lack of distance training. Most runs are about 7-8 miles, although Edmund (the boyf, who is also training for the marathon) and I entered the Fleet Half at the end of march. It was a lovely sunny day and we both enjoyed it immensley, despite some dodgy food the day before giving us both a rather unhelpful case of the trots towards the end of the race. Against these odds we came out happy with our times, 1.39 for me and 1.42 for Ed.
We then proceeded to go to Bruges over the Easter weekend and ate and drank lots of belgian chocolate and beers. A slight blip in the training schedule, which we will put it down as "carb loading". Yeah.
Nevertheless, whilst out on a run yesterday I received a sign. I was trotting along happily under some trees when all of a sudden I saw something fly past my face and felt a splat on my leg. Pigeon guano. I feel certain that they do it on purpose as some kind of pigeon sport, a split second later and it would have been my face! However, I have heard that this is a sign of good luck, so on those grounds... bring on the marathon!
I do still need to raise a fair bit for my chosen charity, the NSPCC. It is a very worthy cause that needs little introduction, and in these last few weeks I will be rallying as much as I can to raise money for the mis-fortunate and abused children that they support.
Please donate to www.justgiving.com/cathygillmarathon or www.justgiving.com/cathygillmarathon/donate , any amount will be much appreciated.
Thank you
Cathy
