Hello!
Thank you for joining me as we review week 5 and 6 of training for the Burgess Marathon.
This week I want to share the following;
When the flu strikes
What training I did over the last two weeks
Spotlight on an inspirational care experienced young woman
What’s in the store?
When motivation returns but the flu strikes!
In weeks 3/4 my motivation sagged. However I felt I’d turned a corner after I wrote the last update and in terms of motivation I did.
However somewhere I picked up a cold/flu and I’ve felt poorly. I was grateful to only be walking at Lullingstone parkrun and gave myself until 2100 on Sunday evening to get better before heading out. The sun was setting fast and my head cold was still ringing in my ears. I was determined to tough it out but then my stomach lurched and I needed a bathroom break. With nothing open I did a staggered walk/cross my legs/walk to the bus stop before getting a ride home. I arrived feeling very sorry for myself.
Week 5 running training
Tuesday - 10k did intervals
Thursday - 10k easy + another 10k in the afternoon 😀
Saturday - Lullingston parkrun 5k walk
Sunday - 6k (meant to do 14k)
Total - 36k
Week 6 running training
Tuesday 11k easy
Thursday - 14k Tempo
Friday - 28k long (was very tough after 23k)
Saturday - Burgess parkrun 5k walk
Sunday - 8k (meant to do 9k)
Total - 61k
I had another stomach challenge whilst running on Sunday meaning I had to cut short my run, fortunately, this time I was close to home. I will need to think through my fuelling as something isn’t right.
You can follow my training at Strava or message me if you’d like a copy of the full plan (which includes the strength workouts).
An inspirational care experienced young woman
Last week I met with my ex-client, Aliyah Ali, who I mentor. I started working with Aliyah after she was discharged from prison. Her drive and determination to improve herself and to improve the outcomes for young women facing challenges she faced is humbling. I’m delighted to share that her charity, Daddyless Daughters, has been nominated for the prestigious Multicultural Business & Community Champion Award 2024 (MBCC). The MBCC Awards is a national awards ceremony that recognises and celebrates unsung heroes in business and in the community. To make the next stage you can vote for Daddyless Daughters here it takes two seconds.
If you know a young woman who is experiencing difficulties please pass the contact details of Daddyless Daughters on to them, they might be able to help.
The store
In ‘the store’ last week I spoke about things for keeping your feet in top condition, Palmers Coco Butter and Stance Socks. As I enter the hardest part of my training block my running buddy is going on holiday for 3 weeks! Therefore this week I want to share my top recommendations for when you’re running on your own;
Headphones
A good tune, a good playlist, an audible book or a podcast are all tools I use to help me get through runs that I am nervous about. I can lose myself in the narration, the story the conversation or the melody whilst my legs continue to turnover.
I’ve used a lot of headphones over the years, these are my favourite to date - Powerbeats Pro they sit in the ear and have a hook over the ears providing a stable ‘locked in’ snug fit. With noise cancelling and great musical detail through the treble and base ranges your tunes are going to sound GOOD. With intuitive controls for volume, you can lock yourself in and let your tunes supercharge your run.
My friend and awesome parkrunning enthusiast Kristy (274 parkruns over 13 countries and 1 marathon to date), runs with Bone Conduction headphones. These headphones use the vibration of the skull to transmit sound to the inner ear which means that the ear canal is not blocked and ‘ambient’ sound can be heard at the same time. This means they are great for outdoor sports as you can hear people around you. They’re the only type of headphones which can be used in some official races as you’ll be able to hear if marshals are giving you instructions.
Kristy recommends these - Shokz OpenRun Pro
Any purchase you make I will get 1% which I will add to the fundraising for Become.
Thank you!
I’ll be back in two weeks for an overview of how the next two weeks, (7 and 8) have gone. I will also be trying out a new pair of running shoes, the Under Armour UA Infinite Elite. I’ll be bringing you a review on whether they’ll be my shoes for race day.
Until then.
Stay safe, stay well and happy running
The Burgess Marathon
The Burgess Marathon takes place on 28th September and will involve me running the Burgess parkrun course 8.5 times with the final 5k to commence at 0900 to conclude the challenge with the official Burgess parkrun. You can donate to my fundraising page here;
Strong article, glad the training is going well!