Week 6 - a quarter of the way there!

I have read so many articles about how to prepare for a marathon, with so much advice it's hard to know what to concentrate on, but one thing I have decided to take on board is to mix things up a bit, and to ensure I do some core strength and stability work to try and prevent injury. Also, I pay for a gym membership and if I don't go to any classes that's a waste! So Mondays is Body Balance (sort of yoga/tai chi/pilates, very calming in theory) and Thursdays is Fit Ball (lots of resistance exercises with hand weights and a big ball - really hard work!). For now I have decided to stop Zumba, as I can't do 45 minutes running and Zumba on the same day, and the mileage has to take priority really. I'm getting the cardiac workout from running.

Friday was a beautiful day - if only it was always that lovely it would be so easy to keep motivated!

(I thought a  few photos would make the blog more interesting!) This is during my very pleasant 45 minute steady on Friday morning. And Friday afternoon I went for a yomp up Wix Hill with a friend and her lovely dog - she was so enthusiastic about my marathon adventure when I told her, which really helps. Saturday is rest day (yay!) and Sunday I did the reverse of last weekend's "long" run (down past the cemetery is so much easier than up past it!). I ran virtually the whole way, apart from a quick stop to take a picture down at the river:

5.5 miles, no faster than last week, but I felt really good afterwards, no huffing and puffing, no sore shins, no painful foot - until later in the day when I had a bit of a slump and felt pretty awful. Feeling like I have a mountain to climb and can't imagine how I'm going to get there. We put the Christmas decorations up though so the house is looking very festive, even if I have lead in my legs!