In need of some reassurance!

I'm a 39 (almost 40!) year old 15.5 stone (was 16.5 stone) 6'3" bloke running my first marathon (Snowdonia) in 9 days time and am worried about just about everything! 

For the past 8 weeks or so I've had Achilles tendonitis in my left leg but managed to keep training without missing too many runs although I feel it has limited my pace.  My longest run to date was a very hilly 17 mile road run around my area in the Brecon Beacons last week in 3hrs20min.  Most of my long runs have been very hilly actually.

I began my taper a few days ago running 12 miles comfortably on Tuesday and my achilles feels fine!  My lower right shin has decided to start being painful instead.  It's slightly less painful today than yesterday but I've not run tonight because of it.  I'm worried that I may only get a couple more runs in before the big day.

Although my longest was only 17 miles, I definitely had more miles in the tank that day.  Heart & lungs are absolutely fine, just my legs are worrying me!  My target is to get round in under 5 hours.  Have I not done enough mileage/will my niggles be the end of me or should I just stop worrying, man up and get on with it?

Any words of reassurance will be much appreciated image

Cheers,

Ash

Comments

    1. Stop worrying, man up and enjoy the race image Enjoy yourself 
  • Ash,

    The next time you have a shower, have a look down. Do you notice anything that looks the same as the thing next to it? If you do, youre ready. Cause you know what I hear when I read this post? Nope not a man bit my female colleagues at work when the lifts break down and they have to climb the two flight of stairs back to the office. Is that what you want to sound like Ash? Nope. so Man Up! youre ready already you just dont know it.

    Good luck next week.

     

     

     

     

  • Since when has "man up" been classed as reassurance?

    Ash - it's your first marathon, don't worry about time, pace or anything other than enjoying the experience.  I ran my last marathon off the back of a 16 mile longest run and whilst it wasn't the easiest marathon I've ever done, it was do-able and I loved the atmosphere.  You've put the training in, you've tapered (and that'll be adding to the anxiety, btw), now adjust your thinking from terror to excitement and enjoy your first time.  THEN you can start thinking about targets for your next one! 

  • Mr A sounds like he's been on the kangaroo juice CD image

    Ash - you can neither gain nor lose fitness in the next 10 days so I wouldn't run at all, I'd rest up and give your niggles chance to settle down so you're in the best shape you can be on the day.

    Good luck - as Crazy Diamond says concentrate on enjoying yourself!

  • Ash,

    Calculate an achievable even pace, take enough fuel (before and during), enjoy!

    Do not set yourself any silly targets.  This one is a banker - the time don't matter.

    Rest easy now - 20 min (Z2) slow run the day before to pull the glycogen into the muscle and then get yourself your favourite food in the fridge for after.

  • CD - Even the OP asked if he should just man up, so being told to, probably is reassurance. Cmon you know right now if I insisted water was wet, you would disagree, just because it was me that said itimage

     

  • Put your ego to bed dear, Booktrunk said the same and she's as big a tube as you.  At least she actually has distance experience to base her (badly expressed) opinion on. 

    Water is wet though, just for the sake of clarity. 

  • Anyway, back to the point stolen by Mr A Ego:

     

    Ash - enjoy! 

  • Thanks everyone for the reassurance.  It's very frustrating though missing runs that I feel I should be doing!  I might try a very gentle few miles this weekend......

  • Ash- enjoy the Snowdonia marathon - its awesome, i'll be running it for 2nd time. my 28th marathon and ive go 10yrs on you, but a little less weight. We all feel very nervous before races. Get to Snowdonia- take it easy, slowly slowly , it sounds like yu ve put in the hill work

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