Waygaze

Here we go. Some major revisions from last time.

1. Long runs will no longer be done on Saturday mornings. Every time, I end up exhausted, spending the rest of the day clawing through wave after wave of exhaustion. So, I’m going to try out evening runs. Never been an evening runner, as I prefer to get up, get out, and get going, but we’re going to give it another go.

2. Gym. Slogging down to the gym during the week takes too much time alongside commuting and my part-time job. Plus, I’ve noticed if I exercise after 7pm, I can’t sleep. So, it has to be morning home workouts. I’m confident this will work well.

3. Equipment. The New Forest Marathon is more akin to a trail race (think grass /gravel) than the road-based Loch Ness Marathon. Trail shoes are recommended. Technically, I need new road running shoes too, as mine have carried me over 500 km. I’d also like some Polaroid sunglasses…Should probably buy the shoes first

4. Nutrition & hydration. Unlike the Loch Ness Marathon, where I carried 1 litre of water and a large bag of Haribos, this time, I will rely solely on water and gel stations. I’ll carry electrolyte tablets to drop into the water, and begin training using only the carbs which will be available on the day – specifically Highfive gels and Jellybabies.

The training plan: long runs x1/week incrementally increasing by 5km & tapering 2 weeks before the marathon; maintenance/easy runs 5-10 km x 1/wk; hill sprinting or interval training x 1/wk; muscle training x3/week. Orange is for mornings and blue for evenings (before 7pm).