Strength and flexibility

Another week training behind and one week less to go to the marathon. Last week I was not on the top of my mind, every part of me was tired and aching and I had a sort of half way training boredom. Few days with just get over with it and keep training -attitude has helped and I am motivated and inspired to keep training. Surely it helps my foot is not hurting and thanks to the physio, I have no problems with walking anymore.

When I started training for the marathon and knew my weekly running kilometers increase significantly, I promised myself to do regular strength training as well as stretch properly. I know I am prone to running injuries, whenever I previously have run more, I tend to get injured (especially on chinsplins). And I know how important strength training and stretching is to avoid that, though neither of those is my strength and something I like to do.

I am still not a big fan of strength training; I keep doing it as I know it is good for me and helps me to stay healthy with running. I have always been stiff as an iron bar, but during the last ten weeks I am surprised by my flexibility. I am still far away to qualify the Olympics in gymnastics but I have reached a mobility in my body I did not know to be possible. Thanks to Tony Horton and P90X Yoga and Dynamics I discovered completely different side of me with more core strength and flexibility and most importantly, I realised I actually enjoy doing the trainings. And most importantly, I feel my running is more focused and stabile, my body feels lighter and happier :)

 Family training session for stronger core.

Let the (serious) training begin!

I am ready, I can go for it! The last few weeks I have prepared myself mentally and physically to follow my marathon training plan. I do three runs a week plus some cross-training, my weekly kilometres are around 40k, I feel comfortable with the variation of intervals, tempo, long runs and trails and I am disciplined to do my stretches. Sounds easy, right?

I have been training in my comfort zone and luckily not been travelling too much lately. But the last week was different and a two day travel, leaving home at 4 am and returning next day at midnight, demonstrated me how easily my training balance can be disturbed. I went for morning run in beautiful Vannes and enjoyed the change of scenery, kept my runs constant three but it took me one full day to recover and ended up skipping the cross-training the day after. It is a good reminder for me that I need to plan my trainings properly if something breaks the daily routine, but I am glad I got that reminder now and not one of those days when I have a hard training ahead.

By building my training routine during the last few weeks I have learned my weaknesses. And I got a reminder that I hate strength training. This hit me really hard as I know it is really important with the kilometers I plan to run to stay healthy, but I just hate it. I have never ever liked strength training and for that reason I have always avoided it. And now I volunteerly plan to torture myself with that horror weekly. Therefore to force myself a bit, every time I skip the strength part of my weekly training, I donate additional 15€ for my charity project.

So the plan is ready, tomorrow morning I start my day with the first training of my official training plan. I have about 650 km ahead during 16 weeks, feels like a lots of fun & pain. May the force be with me.

The joy of business travelling is to see the sunrise in new cities, this time in Vannes in France.