Terena writes:
Never have I heard such beautiful words!
First, though, what has the last two weeks had in store? When I wrote last, I was just at the end of a de-load week before beginning the heaviest week before taper. However, as I mentioned in my last blog, I had developed an injured toe which put a bit of a damper on things.
I managed to get a podiatrist appointment but unfortunately, they were unable to help and advised that I see a GP to get CT scan and blood tests! Well easier said than done these days trying to get in front of a GP! Anyway, to cut a long story short, I’ve been triaged on the phone, had blood taken, finally seen a GP and had an x-ray. That said, I’m no closer to getting a diagnosis! But what I do know is that it’s not gout and it is not a bone issue. The GP has told me that the wait for the musculoskeletal department (which apparently is the next step) has a backlog a few months! No chance of a CT scan in the meantime, apparently there is an order to these things! The GP was lovely though and her last text message to me read, “Obviously I would prefer to advise you not to run the marathon, but I don’t think this is an option for you.” Good to know that she got the measure of me in just a 7-minute consultation!! So, we are where we are with the toe – it doesn’t stop me running, just makes it a little more challenging!
Photo of outpatients – unfortunately do not have x-ray of foot which would be far more interesting!
Alright, let's get back to the training. In the week leading up to The Long Run, I made the call to give my foot complete rest while sticking to my strength and conditioning routine. Before I knew it, the time had come for the 20-miler. It turned out to be a fantastic run, with a pleasant surprise of two quicker miles at the end! The route took us down to Teddington via Kew, Richmond and the river, then back up the other side through Twickenham and Isleworth. Along the way, we made a pit stop at York House Gardens to admire 'The Oceanides' (see picture and link: The Oceanides). This sculpture has recently undergone renovations, and it was a great to see it without any construction barriers. The sculptures sit gracefully in the garden grounds of York House, and I recommend a run down there to catch a glimpse of them!
The Oceanides ‘Naked Ladies’ by Oscar Spalmach
Following The Long Run – TAPER!!! The start of my 3-week taper was the 17th week of my training plan and in all those weeks I have missed only two training sessions. I would say 50% because of my determination to be in the best condition I can be so that I can enjoy London, and the other 50% thanks to my running buddies David and Kelli who have selflessly supported me the entire time making the training sessions fun and something to look forward to not dreading! David is himself running Manchester Marathon next weekend and I wish him lots of luck – I know he’ll go and smash it! As for Kelli, well she claims she’ll never run a marathon but quite frankly she’s smashed the training out of the park and 100% is more than able to run one! But she says there’s Ubers for those kinds of distances and no doubt she’ll send me an Uber quote for 26.2 miles on the day as a joke – she’s done it before!! But seriously, thank you guys – it’s been a blast and I look forward to seeing you on the route for your last TTfL (Training Terena for London) duties!
I read a few articles and watched a couple of YouTube videos on the correct way of tapering – geez it’s complex! It was harder to plan than the rest of the training! Hopefully I’ve got it right and I’ll be in tip-top shape come the 21st! The stats are looking good - picture below!
Ealing Club Champs Mile – photo courtesy of Olivia
It can be easy to slip into the mantra of, ‘I can skip this run, I’m tapering!’ but that would be a mistake so I’m making sure I keep at my targets. I took part in the Eagles Mile last Wednesday which was fun and got me out and I’ve just done a 10-mile run today. It was tough today and at this moment I’m not quite sure where the other 16 miles are going to come from but I’m reminding myself that I felt good at the end of my 20-miler and that, after two more weeks of tapering, I’ll be good to go!
Just before I sign off, news of start waves and colours was sent out by TCS: blue start, wave 15 for me which gives a estimated start time of 11:07-11:11. I was prepared for a later start with submitting a predicted time of 4:45 but 11:07am! Sorry Eagles, you’re gonna have to stick around at Mile 23 a while and don’t eat all the food at the King’s Arms!
Bib number! (not official bib – just a mock up for excitement!)
So that’s it – the next blog is post-race and I’m excited to be able to share the details of my marathon with you and I’m really excited to get to the start line and see what I can do! There’s an equal measure of anxiety too but that’s a more personal battle and with a good amount of PMA I will get through it!
Stay safe and run happy as always!