Zoe’s Double Marathon Challenge for Charity
The diary, training and fundraising efforts for my 2009 double marathon attempt
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Last weekend I completed my longest training run to-date this year, covering a distance of 20.5miles/33km in 3hours 12mins.
After all the set backs I have had in training this year and the emotional ‘lows’ that tend to come with that experience, I have never been more proud of myself! My determination, perserverence and sheer stubboness has continued to push me through the past twelve weeks and now I am confident that all the hard work and training will pay off and I am safely on my way of achieving my Double Marathon for Charity.
My costume preparation is still underway. At the moment I am working towards running as a Bumble Bee and am looking for methods to enhance the costume, ie: larger wings, face paint, huge antennaes! I think I will have to enlist the help of someone who is more artistic than I am :o)
However, I am still open to suggestions or even better - for the right donation I will run in something completely wild! For example - would you like to see me riding an Emu around the course? The purchase price for a ‘Ride on Emu’ is £165 and weighs 5kgs. If you are prepared to buy it…I am prepared to run in it!!!!
I am currently in my 12th week of training and the London Marathon is looming….only one month to go!! Suprisingly my nerves are feeling relatively calm, however I was hit with brief butterflies on the weekend when my Marathon Magazine containing all final instructions plopped on my door step, making this feat more of a reality.
With less than 5 weeks to go, the next two weeks of training are extremely vital as it takes 3 weeks to reap the benefits from training. The hard work I must put in over the next fortnight are most important as they will get me through my first marathon. I am looking forward to beginning the taper (Taper is the three week period before a marathon where training intensity gradually decreases, allowing the body to repair and be fresh for the big day. Continuing to train at high intensity has no benefit at this stage and risks injury).
Well not quite! I went for an MRI on my knee to rule out cartilage damage. As suspected, everything is hunky dory and the MRI showed only inflammation in the side of the knee, which was explained as ITB Tendonitis. There is no easy answer for treating ITB Tendonitis and different methods work for different people. I was offered a Cortizone injection but after a little reseach, decided that was not a route I wanted to go down.
I can continue with my running (I am not causing any damage), the Physician informed me that people do manage to run marathons with it and some have no problems. I am treating it accordingly - ice after training, anti-inflammatory cream on the affected area and regular Ibprofen to help keep the inflammation under control. So far, this seems to be working successfully. I will be sensible and am monitoring it closely.
The situation now: I am no longer getting pain in side of my right knee when I run and I believe that my run/walk strategy for my endurance runs is really paying dividends. However, I am experiencing a discomfort at the bottom of both knee caps which I am treating. My left leg has been showing similar symptoms to the right, I believe this was caused by the incorrect shoes I was given on my second Gait Analysis five weeks ago. I have since been for a third analysis and had my shoes corrected.
I am now breaking-in the shoes I will be running TWO marathons in!!!
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