3 in 3 Marathon Challenge training update #3 ~ 1 week until Brighton!

Final training blog before Brighton Marathon next weekend which is the first of the 3 in 3 Marathon Challenge. 

I'll start with the previous 7 days and then reflect on how I feel the last 5 months of training has gone for me. 

This week has probably been the best I've felt two weeks out from a marathon. Last Saturday I posted my fastest Milton Keynes Parkrun time of 18.18. Then on the Monday I took part in out club Easter handicap race. A 5.6 mile circular route that wasn't flat but felt good. I decided before the start that I'd run straight through the finish to run a 10K time to see where I was training wise 2 weeks out from Brighton. I'm glad I did as it was my 2nd fastest 10K time and fastest since 2011 in 37.30.

So that has proved to me that the way I have approached the last 5 months of training has really worked for me. My approach has been low volume. This was partly down to the hours I had in the week to train but also because I felt that having not run consistently for years this would be the best and avoid any niggles or injury. And that has worked out to be the case. The first 4 months of training Nov-Feb averaged 30 miles. In the last 6 weeks I've completed consistent 40-45 mile weeks with plenty of tempo miles mixed in there too plus the important long run including four 20+ mile runs. I'm really happy with how things have gone and now looking forward to seeing how it goes on the day. 

So race day strategy will be very simple. To run 6.48 minute miling (4 seconds under sub3 pace). It's only a tiny contingency and will barely make any difference if the wheels do fall off at 20+ miles. So the way I see it I'll either run a sub3 or I'll lose 5+ minutes in the final miles and finish between 3.05-10. So I've just got to stay really strong when the legs really start to scream and pray that I can hold it together. I'm confident that in the time I have had that I've given myself the best chance. I wouldn't change anything about the last 5 months if I had the opportunity again so now I just have to see if it is my day. 

But either way this is just a stepping stone to Warsaw which was always the target race for 2018. So whatever happens will happen but I dearly hope that Brighton will be a success and the spring board in my 3 in 3 Marathon Challenge. People have asked what happens to the challenge if I don't run sub3 in Brighton. Does the challenge stop? Do I stop fundraising? Of course not. There is little point setting out to achieve anything if it doesn't push you. This Challenge is intended to do exactly that. So either way the challenge is on!!

Please support my challenge if you can at www.sponsorstuart.me