Week 6 done and I'm a third of the way through!

I'm going to start with a confession. I had a bit of a wobble last weekend. After my really tough long run, which was 10 miles I started to question how on earth I was ever going to run 26.2. I could really easily have given up after 8 miles last week, my legs were totally done for and I just started to have real doubts that I could do this.

After this weekend my long runs go into double figures and don't come back down again until a week before the marathon, things are going to get much tougher from here. I think that was also playing on my mind. Up until now the plan has been territory I have covered before, I knew that I could do the distances as I'd done them during training for the Great South Run. As of next week it's all new territory. Part of that is exciting but it's also pretty daunting.

I've got over it though. Partly by thinking back to the time before the Great South Run when I'd only run a 5K and thought that running 10 miles was a huge challenge. I remembered that I'd completed that by sticking to a training plan and adding miles steadily week on week, just like I'm doing at the moment. I also remembered that I have actually completed a marathon before, albeit a walking one that took me a very long time but I know I can do the distance, I know how far it is - it's a long way but it is achievable.

So positive, determined Becca is back and I've just completed week 6 of my London Marathon training plan and taken my total mileage over the 100 mile mark. It's only 12 weeks to go until the big day and I'm a third of the way through my training. How did that happen?!

This week has been more difficult logistically as I've had to travel with work but I've moved things around and still stuck to the plan. This week is a step back week in the plan meaning that the long run mileage is shortened. This has been shown to be a good thing to do to allow the body to recover a little bit and prepare for the mileage increase in the following weeks.

Monday started with a Core Flow yoga class - a great way to start the week but boy is it challenging! This week, amongst other postures saw me holding plank pose on my hands for a number of minutes and balancing on my 'sit bones' with my feet in the air trying to stretch my legs out in front of me - just like the woman in the picture, ahem. Dignified? Absolutely not! Effective work out for my core - you bet.

I didn't realise quite how effective it had been until I was running on Tuesday night. I joined the ladies for Boutique Running Club again and we ran the outer circle of Regent's Park again. I started off well and was really pleased with my pace for the first couple of miles. Then, I started to get cramp - not the usual kind that I get which I can stretch or breathe away. This felt much deeper in my core and almost like a belt around my middle - obviously the muscles that I'd worked on Monday morning complaining about being put through their paces again. I had to slow down and walk to get rid of it which was annoying but it went away and I was able to start running again.

My usual Wedensday run was swapped for a rest day as I had to travel with work and running just wasn't feasible. So I decided to run home from work on Thursday. I really enjoyed this run, I managed to finish work before it got dark so the first half of the run was in the light which was lovely. It's runs like these that make me realise how much has changed for me in the last 9 months - I used to look at people running to/from work and think they were crazy people - now I'm one of them and enjoying it!

Friday morning was intervals with AudioFuel - I tried their pyramid session this week which is shorter but much more intense than the 3 step ones I had done before. I remembered to wear my heart rate monitor this time and it was interesting to look at the trace when I got home - clearly a very good way to raise and lower my heart rate!

So today has involved my last short-ish long run. Just 7 miles today in distinctly colder than it has been weather. It was a steady run into The City which was very quiet and somewhere I'll revisit in the weeks ahead. I was pleased the colder air didn't seem to affect my asthmatic lungs at all and despite a few stops and starts to cross the road I was pleased with the steady pace I kept.

So as of next week things get serious. The midweek run increases to 6 miles and I'll be breaking new territory with a 12 mile run on Sunday. I'm now feeling quite excited about the prospect. 12 weeks today I will run the London Marathon 2012. I will do it and I will enjoy it!

Miles this week = 18.45

Total miles so far = 104.76