A Flexible Training Plan

There can't be many people around who don't find marathon training relentless. The weeks stretch out ahead, the shorter runs get longer, the longer runs get to epic distances.

This week I have been forced to change my plan. Monday was a 9.6km run, but my knees were sore from the Sunday long run so I went to the gym. The treadmill is easier on my knees and I substituted some biking and rowing. Tuesday & Wed I stuck to the plan. Thursday was club handicap night. I have not done one of these before and was given a decent handicap of 7:50. So nearly 8 minutes after the first person I set off. 5.5km later and I was the second person across the line. Ahhhhh, a taste of winning! Well thats a new one for me. Friday was a day off and on Saturday Sarah was ill and I substituted the run with, walking around Brockham Big Field doing the boys football thing, making lunch, then 2hrs in Dorking swimming pool being a human climbing frame and underwater surfboard for the boys and Sophie, then tea and getting 3 kids to bed. Did somehow manage to do about 20 lengths in the pool though. Sunday I did my long run. 28.8km (18miles). My total weekly distance is lower than it should be, but I feel the extra activities have made up for it.

A month back the doctor took my blood pressure as 140/92 and told me about 'whitecoat syndrome' (your blood pressure goes up because the doctor frightens you!), now the thing that put my nose out of joint was that, I run 30 miles a week, what does my blood pressure think it's doing? So I went to the ebay doctor and got me a new toy. For less than the price of a new running shirt you can take your own blood pressure. The boys and I have been playing all weekend with this, and the good news is we all have a blood pressure. BP Chart Oliver was the first to record a systolic pressure under 100 and mine right now is 118/75 and a HR of 57. Thats more like the figures I want to believe. Cool toy, and granny is coming on Tuesday, hee hee hee hee!