There are a few things that marathon runners don’t tell first timers when they start out all keen on their marathon training journey…

• That your running pace will get slower and slower
• The shoes you’ve run in for many months will suddenly start giving you blisters
• and your favourite sports bra will remove a layer of your skin
• and old favorite m&s knickers will do unspeakable things!
• However much you run you wont magically become a lean mean marathon runner because you’ll be permanently hungry.
• That you will spend over 2 hours on a Sunday morning listening to radio 2 because you’ve exhuasted your running play lists
• running will sometimes become a chore and you’ll feel like a slave to ‘the plan’
• you’ll have days/weeks when you really don’t like running at all

Well I’ve had one of those weeks. Putting off my runs day after day, culminating today in me running as far as Hyde Park Corner on a planned ‘three times round the park’ long run and finding that my heart just wasn’t in it and giving up and walking and really not wanting to run again so walking home.

To be honest I think the problem is that I’m just plain knackered. No, Not from over-training. While most people mourn the loss of the summer as September approaches I reach a frazzled crescendo by bank holiday weekend of over domestication after a summer of shopping, cooking, organising, visitors, driving teenagers around and so on. I long for September and the return to London, routine and start of the school term. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m a lucky girl, and love my summers on the Isle of Wight but you can get too much of a good thing and too little of the ‘summer’ part of the summer holidays!

I think it’s just been a bit too long a time having to juggle and organise runs where it not automatically possible to run straight out the door and fitting it in with conflicting plans and people. Too much looking after everyone else and not putting running as a priority. So when my running motivation waned last week, if it’s taken extra energy to fit in a run I’ve taken the easy route out and not run.

Anyway I’m not throwing in the marathon towel yet. I’m told it’s always better to be under trained than over! It’s time to pick myself up and move on with my plan. I am going to do lots of BMF next week where the motivation is full on and free and some good company will get me back on track…

Rant over, thanks for listening!

Normal bouncy service to be resumed…