Running, the cure for all

After a pretty stressful week I have managed to keep on top of training and if anything it has kept my spirits high.

I managed 22 miles last week so the mileage is creeping up and I seem to be getting through training fairly unscathed, I have a few niggles with the ankle injury I picked up last year but I'm hoping that as I get stronger, my body will learn to cope with the 'niggles'.

I had a fabulous run on Sunday morning (lovely, sunny and about 8 degrees), and managed to clock up 9.45 miles in under and hour and 33 minutes which is a fair time but I really need to focus on taking the long runs easier. At the moment I am only running about 20 seconds per mile slower/easier on the long run which I feel I could take down to 4o seconds slower. At the moment I'm not struggling with the distances so that may well be something that automatically happens as the distances get longer.

I'm now introducing 5 mile runs into the weekday training and will attempt a 5 mile route in the

morning. I am possibly still being overly cautious about over training as I sometimes feel I have a lot more in me to run. I guess this is probably a symptom of being addicted to running.... is that actually possible? Running has been my saving grace this week and whilst my routine has been disrupted, my running hasn't at all and I could quite easily just keep running some days.

If I wasn't training for a marathon I would probably be out running for a lot longer each day.

On top of the good runs, the introduction of pilates into my training has given me a welcome boost. My core already feels stronger and my posture when I run is a lot easier to maintain. On top of that I'm getting a nice flat stomach.....I haven't had one of those in

Yeeeeeeaars!

I am still in need of working on nutrition. I can now notice if I have eaten lunch a little later or if I've had rubbish to eat the night before when I run so now is the time to cut out all the crap. In all fairness we don't eat it a lot and I hardly have a single item of processed food in my cupboards, but occasionally the chinese/fish and chips comes calling! I also need to eat MORE (yes more) after my long runs and probably after the regular runs too as I'm beginning to notice weight coming off too quick. I never thought I'd say that....lol I've added some photos of my long run on Sunday! I do love Nottinghamshire :) They were taken running out of Coddington, (one of the many little villages around Newark) heading down towards Barnby Road (which is very farmy.... wel it smelt farm-like anyway)