WORK.RUN.SLEEP.

Having a full time job and training for a marathon is not ideal. But having a number of other hobbies, a partner or a family (no idea how you, guys with kids, manage it!) is far more difficult. Should have done it when I was a student! Maternity leave could be next suitable break.

The options to fit in running are limited, unless you love treadmill. One way is to run to/ from work which is what I did for my first marathon training, but you need to have showers or a local gym to make this work. Somehow I even managed after work long runs ending back at the office and then tubing it home late. I am not a fan of running with a rucksack, especially to work - how are you meant to look presentable in creased clothes? Running home with just keys, phones (work & personal), a bank card and oyster was far more manageable. But then again it depends where you live and work and whether you can run all the way, tube it half way or do an extra lap if you are lucky enough to live near work.

In my current situation, running to work is a 5 second jog up the stairs - I've been relocated to work from home. The new training plan for this year is either to run mornings or evenings after work. Leave the long runs for the weekend. So far, every morning my alarm goes off at 6:30, I snooze it and snooze until it's time to get up and start working. The usual self-excuse: "It's too dark & dangerous". Looking at the current sunrise times, morning run is more likely after February.

Hence so far I have only done evening runs on well-lit Thames paths. And, of course, long runs at the weekends. So my advice is to incorporate your runs into your work life if possible, this will ensure you achieve your weekly mileage and possibly save money and time on travel. I used to be able to run to my office faster than getting a bus in the morning. As long as I left home on time, I was never late.

Today I've read somewhere that working marathon runners would not be able to fit in the ideal amount of training & maintain the right nutrition regime, so the best we could do is get our "8 hour beauty" sleep every night! I'm going to test this theory - no going out on a school night.

START.

Weeks to go - 8
Miles ran so far - 8
Pace - just under 8 minutes per mile
This week's target - 13 miles

My second marathon. My first visit to Paris. A different way to sightsee the city.
The training starts this week.