Half Marathon Training Progress 9: Preparation

For any kind of run it's not simply put your running shoes on and get running, it takes careful preparation or something of a ritual at least for me.

This all comes down to personal criteria of course but for me it takes a while to get properly ready and primed for a run. If I am running on the road I would definitely wait for that window of opportunity where the weather is just right or the roads aren't too wet (especially in these days). Even temperature wise, being a student does give me some benefits in this regard, meaning that I decide for myself when I go for my run, I usually take early afternoon so that the weather would be a little bit warm (in winter) and so it won't be such a sock to my body for both before and after the run, although during the run after the first 1 or 2 km all feeling of coldness would be taken away.

Nutrition wise (before any nutritionist goes nuts I would like to say that I know it's wrong) but I usually eat something very light way way beforehand or even sometimes nothing at all. The day before I drink plenty of water and herbal tea but I read that you may continue to drink up to two hours before any run otherwise you'll be dodging in the bushes throughout the run, but as you start running you can consume as much fluids as you wish. And don't forget the numbers 1s and 2s ;-).

Physical preparation over, mental preparation is perhaps the most difficult to do especially when starting up in my opinion. Tell any person that you did a 10km run today and they'd raise their eyebrows. But why is that? I mean sure it takes a while to be able to do that way under an hour but why do many people see this as such a large distance? Mentally you just split this distance into intervals according to the route you take.

So I say this to anyone who wishes to start running; don't give up every stage of your training is important even if you just run for 5 minutes, that 5 minutes might someday snowball into 10, then 20 then an hour and perhaps even a marathon. Rome wasn't built in a day =)

Half Marathon Training progress 8: Early starts and sacrifice

One of the most grueling things which I find requires a lot of sacrifice from my part is the early morning run. As many people who know me would vouch for, I am definitely not a morning person.

Of course this is subject to personal attributes every person is unique after all, I know people who do not want to be seen running or else people who enjoy running in the sun rather than the cold.

They say that the road to victory is paved with sacrifice and I guess to run any kind of race be it a 5k, 10k, half or full marathon, it does take considerable sacrifice. Most days you want to stay in, just study or else even lazy around watching TV but the image that I have formed in my head of me finally arriving at that finishing line is worth every second of lazying lost, not to mention the fact that mentally and physically you do feel proud of yourself for overcoming that feeling.

What I say to you know is that there is no point in saying you're going to do something be it quit a nasty habit, start a new project etc. Just get off your behind and work for it even until it hurts, then you work some more! =D

coldplay

Half Marathon Training Progress 7: The freedom of running

Many professional long distance runners would understand this perhaps better than I do. It's something most psychologists and medical professionals call "the runner's high", a state of mind where all the senses just calm away and your body just becomes a well oiled machine. If you felt cold before; it just stops feeling cold and starts feeling great, knee hurting; just stops and feels great, etc. only when one stops you feel these 'barriers' coming back slowly but thankfully adrenalin is a powerful drug.

Today I am kind of proud to say that I am starting to crack the 9 minute/mile barrier which is kind of a big deal considering I haven't been running for many weeks (this religiously). I am telling you the great sense you get when you just see things zooming past when previously you used to slowly see them come towards you and thinking 'when is it going to end?!', now I say 'already over??'

Hope you guys are having a great start of year!

Thanks for your contributions so far to the Half Marathon Charity I have set up =)

Mark

I leave you with a great new song I found perfect for that awesome bit of juice during the run ;)

Kasabian - Days are Forgotten

Marathon Training progress 6: the big ones

As will be almost every Sunday from here on in, today I had to do a long run which usually entails having a run longer than an hour or 10km.

Usually for these types of runs I takes some time to plan a route, maybe some scenery I would like to appreciate more or perhaps even something new to experience. Today I choose to take a 12 mile route taking me from my home to the outskirts of Hal Ghaxaq - Along the parallel road of the airport - down to Hal Far - Birzebbugia and then straight back up to my home. I knew this route had to have some really challenging hills and also good downhill slopes to rest.

Started off great slow steady pace, no need to push today was not about timings it was about finishing really, managed even to wave to some friends passing by along the way, all was great. The first of a few challenging hills was rapidly approaching; the part which leads to the airport a steady unsought of ups and downs but managed fairly well. As I approached the airport well I was really not focusing on the pacing and more on the planes (as some people close to me may know why). But unfortunately I got a constant stream of bugs being splattered onto my sweaty face and neck so perhaps that is a route to be avoided in the cold months or winter.

Downhill to Birzebbugia via Hal Far all great except I was really getting thirsty and craved water but I pushed through. Birzebbugia went by like a dream but then I found myself facing the worst hill of the route; the hill next to Ghar Dalam. It was a nightmare, every step uphill was a challenge and I kept constantly telling myself "one more step, one more and its over!", "come on Mark push it a little, no speed just keep running, no stopping to a snail's pace or worse walking pace".

At that moment I have to admit I was this close to giving up but then after I got through that stage, I am sure as hell glad I didn't give up! Something one can adapt in real life perhaps this might be my new year's resolution! Even if the pain is so great you cannot stand one more second of it, try and try and try harder, the rewards of finally conquering that uphill run would truly be satisfactory!

Hope you all have a wonderful new year filled with all kinds of great and positive things =D