Where am I now?

As I’ve said the main focus for the next 8 months will be to build up for the Comrades marathon on 30 May 2010. That seems far away, but for someone like me with a total lack of natural running ability it’s not that long before the race.

So where am I now? I’m currently in a process of building up from scratch after a long lay off from running. I now run 15km with ease and will progress to 20km in the next few weeks. My plan is to be able to run 25km comfortably by the end of the year. I’ve decided not to go further than 25km this year. I plan to do 3 x 25km runs towards the end of the year. This should give me a good base to start the serious buildup in January.

I’m using Don Oliver’s training program as a guide and my monthly distance will be very close to his plan. See www.alsoranrunners.info for his training program and some great advice for Comrades. His plan includes the 32km RAC Tough One in November, but I’ve decided to skip that this year. I’ll probably be able to do it, but I think I’ll do more damage than good to my body if I run the race. I want to be 100% injury and niggle free at the start of 2010. I used Don’s program in the past and it works well for me.

I run 6 days a week with Monday a rest day. I run early in the morning and my wakeup time is anything from 04:00 to 04:50 depending on the distance I want to run and where I have to be at what time for work. I love the mornings and really find this the best part of the day. It’s a great feeling to get to work knowing I’ve done my training for the day.

The biggest challenge for me at the moment is to get a body that is 13 years older than it was with my last Comrades in shape. Everything seems to be happening a lot slower than before. The main problem is loosing weight. 10 – 15 years ago I lost weight 10 – 15 times quicker…or so it feels anyway. I know I reached higher fitness levels a lot sooner as well. But this does not get me down. I’m very motivated and everyday I look forward to the next day’s run. Dedication has never been a problem for me and getting back to a complete running lifestyle is very exciting.