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Manchester-Week 16

Manchester, the second coming ...
Week 16

The week in numbers (so far)...

Miles ran: 13
Easter eggs eaten: 1 medium
Pizza eaten : 1 large
Wine drank: 0
Beers drank: 1 pint Guinness zero

Weight: Don't weigh myself this week. If im heavy i'll worry i'm getting fat and if I've lost weight I'll worry I haven't eaten enough. Best not to know.

Monday 21st April

This week starts how last weekend ended.

Today is rest day and I'm not working, I didn't run yesterday and again slept for about 10 hours last night.

Today me and Mrs J go to the tip which is always a bank holiday job and then a walk into Whitley to get some things I need for Manchester and this ends with us in the pub and a I have a couple of pints of Guinness.

No booze and diet starts tomorrow.

Tuesday 22nd April

Back at work after 4 days off and I've got an insanely busy day, really regret booking so many people in with very little rest between them and then I get a couple of cancellations to ease my day a bit, thank god.

It's club tonight on the track and my plan is to squeeze in a few warm up miles and then do some of the session with C and some with B and skip the fast 200's and just do the long reps.

Finish work at half six and quickly changed and put the door by 6:40 to get 3 miles in before we start, I feel okay and a nice easy warm up is good. Get to the track and pretty much straight into the session.

I start with C and lead out the 800, 600, 400 and do them all a little fast but C team don't seem to mind, then it's the final 400 and after this I jump in with B who are doing their 600, a big jump up in pace but feels good. Recovery after that and then back in with B for the next rep and push hard on this 800 to stick with Steve. Should be finished now but then I'm back with C who are about to start their final 800, so I jump in with them for the first 600 and then call it a day.

Home and eat another Easter egg, my final bit of chocolate before the marathon.

I feel quite sick now.

All in all it was a good session and felt good to stretch my legs out, easy jog home and massage booked for tomorrow afternoon.

Wednesday 23rd April

Busy morning of work and then I've got a massage at 2pm.

My knee still hurts but doesn't bother me when I run and the shin is definetely a nerve issue with the tibialis muscle as my foot keeps going a bit numb when I stand for too long. I've had issues with this muscle before but it's been a long time and again it seems to be okay when I run so I'm going for the well established runners plan of ignoring it.

I also decide last minute to sneak a quick run in today, a nice easy 35 mins and then nothing until Saturday.

Massage is good and legs feel way better after it.

Thursday 24th April

A good night's sleep and feeling way better today.

Busy day massaging other marathoners and talking through race strategies and pacing which I always enjoy. I'm also eating a lot and I mean a lot of food this week, it's all good stuff so I'm not concerned but I won't be weighing myself as that'll be to depressing.

Watching and heckling the club in the evening and then back home for my big compression boots to squeeze the life out of my legs.

Friday 25th April

Half day today, working from 8am til 11 and then I'm done.

Out for lunch with Mrs J and I eat a pizza the size of a small child and some spicy fries, a pint of coke and a black coffee. I manage to polish all this off within 20 minutes and then feel incredibly sick. Walk round the shops for a bit and then pub for a pint of Guinness zero and then home.

An afternoon 20 mins nap on the bed and then into the bath with a big bag of epsom salts poured in and then in a last minute moment of madness I decide to completely alter my playlist and start deleting and adding things like a madman. Out goes Sister Sledge and in comes Rage Against The Machine, out go The Stone Roses and in come Radiohead.

I relax in the bath listening to Bullet In The Head very loudly. I then realised I don't have The Clash on the playlist and must add them as Joe Strummer once ran London Marathon and it's one of my favourite photos of all time. I really must get it made up onto a t shirt.

A lot of internal debate happens and a lot of Clash gets listened to and I finally settle on I Fought The Law and delete a longer Radiohead song.

I decide the playlist is now complete and a quick check shows it's 3:18 long. Now this could be an omen or infact piss poor planning on my part and means I run out of music 10 minutes early.

I decide to leave it and live with the consequences.

Saturday 26th April - Part 1

It's Saturday so it's parkrun day.

I've always taken 2 days rest before a race but since starting marathons I've found a shake out run the day before massively helps me, gets rid of some nervous tension and keeps my routine which helps me not carastrophise and start panicking about anything and everything.

Up at 7:00 because I can't sleep, porridge with oat milk for breakfast followed by a bagel and honey and stick on OK Computer by Radiohead on the record player and turn it up loud(ish) but not loud enough ta wake everyone up...

Kicking, squealing, Gucci little piggy

All together now .....

You don't remember, you don't remember

Why don't you remember my name?

Off with his head, man

Why don't you remember my name?

I guess he does

Back to the parkrun.

Arrived and got asked by everyone what the hell I'm doing.

Settle in and run at planned 8:30 mile pace, Mike catches me at the end of th prom and we have a nice chatty one to tick the miles off.

Home for some more food, grab my gear and off to town to catch the train.