
Marathon hopefuls line up

The more attractive members of Layla’s Sunday Runners
Typically for the last taper week, I’ve been suffering from the malady commonly known as maranoia – symptoms include: forgetting that you’ve done all the training, feeling sluggish, imagined sore throats, tummy aches, earache, broken toes, suddenly denying that you EVER SAID THREE AND A HALF HOURS – and on and on until your loved ones could happily throttle you with your own resistance bands.
Fortunately, I’ve had something else to focus on, namely my appointment of one of a number of volunteer Mental Health Ambassadors for England Athletics.
I wrote about it for The Guardian running blog, and despite a few disparaging comments and Twitter trolls, who seem to think I’m on a mission to make ill people feel worse (I am not prescribing exercise like some sort of demented PE teacher, just articulating the well-known fact that being outdoors in the fresh air and moving our body can help your mind), the response was upbeat.
I wrote it, because starting to run in midlife, and falling happily in love with it, has been one of the best actions I have ever taken. There I was, feeling a bit doldrum-y, middle-aged, unappreciated, bored, listless….etc, and there was Race for Life. Finishing it made me feel so upbeat I could not wait to do another one, and find running friends, and plan schedules, get fitter, finally give up smoking….
Now my youngest child is 18, I find I can devote even more time to my first love. Husband is still grumpy about it, but he knows what he can do, right? Run and talk with me.
Until he does that, I have my own delightful running friends. I look forward to meeting them at the crack of dawn on Thursday mornings, at parkrun on a Saturday, after breakfast on a Sunday. They make me happy, they keep me sane. And we chat, how we chat! And run like happy dogs.
So, here’s my taper schedule. I am remaining as calm as I can. Next post? Post marathon news.
Monday: rest
Tuesday: strength session 8am, track session 7pm (5M, three at marathon pace)
Wednesday: 2M easy, plus strides
Thursday: 3M easy, plus strides
Saturday: 2M easy, with a quick check of marathon pace.
Sunday: 26.2 miles from Greenwich, at MARATHON PACE