My Journey to 100 miles!

Okay, so training hasn’t been that exciting to just write about one run so thought I’d do a recap on what my weeks have been looking like.

When I first decided to follow the plan on the watch it all felt very ‘convenient’ after all, all I had to do was do what the watch told me. Fast forward a couple a weeks and all I seem to do is press the x when it suggests starting the scheduled workout, ooops! Safe to say I haven’t followed the plan. But I have paid attention to the mileage each week and seem to be on target so that’s okay, anyway let’s talk about the training I’ve been up to!

Every Tuesday I can be found at the running club training sessions. These vary depending on the week and include; hills, intervals and tempo sessions as well as the odd run round town. Basically a good opportunity to work on building speed! I am very lucky that the majority of the time I have club pals that will sacrifice their reps to help push me harder, quite handy as I can be lazy otherwise. Also I recently brought some new trainers for just training and they are amazing – A pair of Topas which I’d never heard of but gosh they are comfy and quick!

Every Thursday I meet with club pals and again the session will differ each week. Ideally I’d manage to get in a recovery run on the Wednesday, sometimes this happens, sometimes not! I see Thursday as a bit like another training sesh, most the time I tend to be the slowest one there so even if it’s an easy run I find it hard work! But I do love these sessions and again the purpose is to build/maintain speed whilst being a tad more social than Tuesdays.

The weekends are where all the exciting runs happen! I have Fridays off and usually use these to fit in a long run. I love the North Downs so the temptation to head that way every Friday is extremely tempting! But no can do! I’ve recently been brave and headed solo to the start of the South Downs Way 50 in Worthing. I didn’t enjoy realising the first 2 miles were uphill but I’m sure it’ll be fine and finally I am understanding the love for the South Downs (Thank goodness!!). Also joined a couple of club pals to a looped event on the Thames where I did a half marathon and didn’t mind the loops as much as I thought I would!
Fridays for me are always different but I do like to make this my long ‘hilly’ run depending on my plans for the weekend. Or an opportunity to recce a route.
Saturdays have been lots of fun! I recently had my friend Amy visit from London so we got a lift to Tilgate park run and then ran back. Nowhere near as interesting as running round Hyde park but as always it’s lovely to run with a friend, especially knowing you’re going for brunch when you get back! Very important training tip – the food/coffee/cocktails will always taste better after a long run!
Sophia and I also went on a long run with Izzy which was lovely showing her around our local area, doing a route we hadn’t done since training for our first half, 2 years ago! Running with pals is definitely a lot more fun than by myself, also a great opportunity to get familiar with my heart rate zones and corresponding pace, very important for the tp100.
Today I did my longest run in a while, 20 miles mainly on the South Downs with Emma and Simona. A lovely run with lots of laughing! Tough route but good to get miles and elevation in the legs.
Sundays have all been very much the same as I’ve been joining the marathon training sessions that have been organised by the club. I love meeting at the same place as everyone and having a quick chat about how we’re all getting on before we split into different groups to do our desired miles. Makes it all very social! However, these are the runs that challenge me the most! I do not like the worth way, a disused railway line which starts in East Grinstead and heads Crawley direction. It’s flat but boring and nearly all long runs end or start there. Most of the marathon sessions have been out and back routes, keeping it flat and simple, also great to see people who have turned at various points. For me out and backs are horrendous especially the last 2 miles. Poor Andy, who is very kindly pacing me at the Brighton half, has been on the end of my many tantrums on the Worth Way and to be honest it’s a miracle he hasn’t just left me there. But it is brilliant mental strength training, that’s what I try and remind myself!

So all in all I think training is going very well. My weekly average mileage is probably at around 45 miles a week which feels okay and building slowly. It never feels like a chore to put my trainers on and I always look forward to my next run. Happy days!! Also building mileage slowly means less risk of injury!
In terms of strength training and going to the gym, not so great. For some reason I have a complete fear of walking into a gym and even bigger fear of working out. Something I’m working on. Elle has been with me and recently Tim, coach at the running club, came with as well. Thank goodness they have great patience because I am utterly useless/clueless! So am incredibly grateful for the help.

I have some very exciting races and training runs coming up including Brighton half next weekend where a PB might be pending?! Sophia and I are doing our own run to the sea going from East Grinstead to Brighton and later on in March I’ve got Rome Marathon!! Also I’ve been helping non-runner friend Fran out with completing couch to 5K and she’s nearly ready for her first 5K run! No doubt I’ll be posting about those! Life is busy but full of things I want to do and all is well so I’m just enjoying riding the highs and cruising along with a smile.

Happy running!

Jade x