Another Marathon? October? Pan flat? in Amsterdam? Oh go on then...

With exactly 1 month to go until Paris, I can announce that I will be running the 39th TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday 19th October, 2014.

A lunchtime chat over Facebook with my former Plumstead Runners colleague Mel was all I needed for persuasion.  The words PAN and FLAT being those which sold it to me.  Hopefully it will be the course for me to set a sub 4:00 time.

No ballot and no faffing, just booked a place for €65 over the web in 5 minutes.  Doesnt get much better than that.  Will need to sort out flights and hotels but thats fairly easy.  Gatwick to 'Dam takes an hour by EasyJet to Schipol Airport then its a 15min train ride into Amsterdam Central station from there.  Easy peasy.

You can read more information about the Amsterdam Marathon here

Wednesday Training (Happy New Year 10k with man flu)

I've pretty much felt like death over the last 48 hours.  I picked myself up enough yesterday afternoon to do a very slow trail run and I hoped I'd be able to do the same today.

It didnt quite work out like that.

I hate New Year's Eve with a passion.  I'd rather just get on with things and let it pass me by.  When I got back from my parents this afternoon and realised my neighbours had visitors which highly like meant yet another party to contend with, I thought to myself enough was enough.

I dosed myself up, I soaked myself in the hottest steamiest bath in history to clear my nose and sinuses and I got in my lycra and I forced myself to run 10k at about 11.20pm on NYE.  That way, I could avoid midnight altogether.

Its absolutely no fun being billy no mates and I'm certainly not going to subject myself to having to listen to others having fun.  So off I went...

I took the run very easily. No effort at all. A nice slow constant pace, ensuring I was only taking shallow breaths so as to avoid drawing the cold air on to my lungs which could cause further chaos later.

You may notice that the average HR is much higher than it would be for a run at a much quicker pace but that is easily explained by the several gallons of Diet Coke I've drank in the last 12 hours and the various medication I've been taking (nurofen cold and flu tablets, benilyn chesty cough, subutamol etc).

I felt pretty good considering.  No coughing or spluttering.  The sinuses remained clear until I got home in the shower.  So first 10k of 2014 completed within the first half hour of the new year, although the first 3 miles occured in 2013 :)

At least I can have a lay in and not feel remotely guilty in the morning.  Roll on Izzy o'clock, I've missed the little lady like mad!

Paris Marathon 2014 is booked. Eeeek.

I've always been one for setting targets.  I like to have something to aim for.  So having been back running for just about a year properly now, there's one major achievement left to unlock.  A marathon.

As most will know by now, I'm currently awaiting news whether I've been successful in the ballot for a place in the 2014 London Marathon so I had to have a back up plan.

The Brighton Marathon filled pretty quickly.  There was a few other options but Paris sounded pretty good.

So I've finally gone and done it.  I'm all booked.  On Sunday 06/04/2014, I will take on my first marathon distance run.  God help me.  Hotel is booked too, a Best Western just around the corner from the start/finish area at the Arc de Triomphe.  Eek.