It's darkest before the light.....

I am just one week into my 14 week training program for the Milton Keynes Marathon and I am at that horrible stage in your training where you are doing more mileage and tougher sessions than you have for some time and it feels really hard!

Despite running more over the Christmas period than I have in previous years and having just come off of a good month of base building thanks to #Jantastic and #basemileblast (see my previous post), I am really feeling the miles and sessions of the previous week.

The thing is, the week that I have just logged wasn't even that tough. Not in the grand scheme of things and not when compared to the weeks to come. I did a 4 mile recovery run on Monday. A 6 mile run (with 2 miles at tempo) on Tuesday morning, followed my an impromptu 3.8 mile tempo run with Mike and Nick in the evening (actually that was quite a tough day!). I rested on Wednesday, just doing some strength/core work and stretching. Thursday was an easy 10k. Friday was 5.5 miles including 6 x 400m @ 6:45m/m. I rested completely on Saturday and my Sunday long run was just over 12 miles which included 2 x 2 miles at target marathon pace (8:00m/m). That's only 37 miles for the week. My longest week will be almost double that!

I actually felt stronger towards the end of my long run yesterday but to think I will be running twice that distance as my longest training run is a terrifying thought at this stage! At the moment it really does feel like that period just before dawn, when things really are at their darkest.

Thankfully I have been here before, so I know that things are going to feel harder before they feel easier. So, if you are staring at your training program and are wondering how you are going to be able to complete those longer training runs or tougher sessions, just trust your training and know that as sure as the sun will rise, you will get stronger!

The benefits of sharing

I have just finished a record month of running, for the month of January at least, having run 130 miles.

So why during a month where we experienced some less than ideal running weather in the UK, did I choose to run more miles than I have previously? Well, it was down to two main things. I had signed up for #Jantastic (for those not familiar, the podcast @marathontalk set a challenge whereby you had to commit to a specific number of runs for the month of January and log those runs on the Marathon Talk website: www.marathontalk.com). I had already decided to step up to 5 runs per week (from 4) as part of my training for the Milton Keynes Marathon, so set this as my weekly target.

I have also recently joined the training log/social website @Strava (www.strava.com) and they were running a January challenge called #basemileblast which encouraged you to run as many miles as you could for the month of January.

Now, lets be clear, there are plenty of people who ran a lot more than I did for both challenges, so I was never going to be topping the leader board on Strava, where the top #basemileblast runner logged over 580 miles in January! For #Jantastic there were people running 7+ runs per week but this challenge had more emphasis on participation, which gives the person who is running 3 times per week the same opportunity to score 100% as the person who is running 7+ times per week. In addition, you can also join a team, which is where the real camaraderie comes in.

For me, What really came out of being involved in both of these challenges was the benefit I gained from the encouragement of being part of something bigger than just logging miles on your own. Anyone who follows me on Twitter (@runrforlife) or who listens to Marathon Talk will have heard about the friendly rivalry that has sprung up between the teams of Colwick Parkrun and Conkers Parkrun, which has given rise to a multitude of hashtags: #teamcolwick, #colwickconkers, #conkercolwick etc.

So, it has been the benefit I got from being part of these team challenges and sharing my experiences with those also going through similar experiences that really encouraged me to keep going. On those mornings where the bed was cosy, when it was cold and dark outside and the rain was pelting down. It was the encouragement from I got from sharing my experiences on Twitter that got me out of bed and allowed me to log a record month for January and maintain 100% in Jantastic!

So thanks to everyone who has supported me and as we move into #Febulous let's continue to support and share and let's see if we can get ahead of that Conkers lot! #teamcolwick #colwickconkers

Brooks Ghost 5 - A very good update

I was motivated to write a review on the new Brooks Ghost 5 because I have been really impressed by the updates to this latest version of their cushioned (neutral) shoe.

I should say now that whilst I would not describe myself as a Brooks 'fanboy', I have owned several pairs of Brooks running shoes in the recent past, including the GTS 12, Green Silence and 2 pairs of the Ghost 4's.

And it is really against the Ghost 4's that I am making the comparison. I tried a lot of similarly priced cushioned shoes (on the treadmill) before opting for the Ghost 4's. I liked the cushioned feel they offered without too much weight in the heel and the feeling your stride is being 'controlled'. They were lighter than many similar shoes and also offered a bit more width at the toe, which is something I struggle with when it comes to some brands. These shoes served me well whilst training for the Brighton Marathon in 2012, so I bought another pair to wear on my final training runs and on race day. In the end, I ran over 1200 miles in the two pairs of shoes and have to say that they were well constructed and lasted really well.

Having had such a positive experience with the Ghost 4's, I felt comfortable buying the Ghost 5's without a treadmill test. Now, I have owned updates of running shoes previously and I appreciate that the challenge for the manufacturers is to retain enough of the characteristics to keep the loyal customers happy, whilst also keeping up with the latest innovations and ensuring that each update is progressive and offers something new.

I have to say that I think that Brooks have got it spot on with the update from the 4 to the 5. The shoe is slightly lighter but still retains all of the ride comfort and cushioning (using their DNA technology). If anything, there is slightly more cushioning, particularly in the forefoot. Another thing that struck me was the weave of the fabric. It seems to do a good job of keeping your feet dry in the rain and snow but allows for more air-flow, particularly in the toe area. This took me by surprise on my first few early morning runs (which were done in sub-zero temperatures!) but I suspect I will be grateful for the added ventilation, particularly on those long runs in hotter temperatures.

All in all the Brooks 5 is a really good update to an already very solid shoe. I would recommend it to any medium to high mileage runners who prefer a neutral, cushioned shoe.