Marathon Update - 10 weeks to go

That's another week done, and another week closer to the big day. This week's training went well with the long slow 17 mile run being done on Friday, and followed up by 8 miles done at marathon pace on Saturday morning. I was pleased with how my legs felt on Saturday although I do have a slight pain in the right side of my right foot - but then I have a pain somewhere or other most days! At the moment I don't think it's anything to worry about.

This coming week is the next 'cut back' week so slightly less overall mileage (37 as opposed to this week's 40) and the long run will only be 12 miles. But a couple of the shorter runs will be on the faster side to make up for it. There is snow and colder weather forecast for the coming week - which always has the potential to mess things up. [When I wrote this on Saturday there was snow forecast on Wednesday - now on Sunday evening it has already been snowing for two hours.]

Last week I was talking about the different paces that I run during the week - and how I know how fast I'm going. The answer is my Garmin Forerunner 305 - a GPS watch that can display a whole range of information like distance run, current speed, average pace, time, calories, elevation - all thanks to satellites that pinpoint my position on the surface of the earth every second. You can also set up a work out - such as 1 mile at 9 min/mile pace, then 3 miles at 7 m/m, then ... Every time you get to the end of one stage it beeps and then tells you what's next.

Then when the run is over the 305 is connected up to the computer and everything is stored and can be analysed to the n-th degree - if you want to.

Sponsorship-wise I am nearly half-way to my £2000 target. You can sponsor me by visiting www.virginmoneygiveing.com/keithtarring