Bit of a setback with marathon training

I went out on Saturday morning with Andrew to run 18 miles. I felt good and was looking forward to it and felt we could do a good time. But as I ran down the hill to meet Andrew at the bridge I just felt my hamstring tighten. I thought I could maybe stretch it off before we started but after a couple of good stretches it became clear that it was a bit more serious than I'd first thought. I tried a slow jog but whenever I increased my stride my hamstring complained and so reluctantly I had to stop and let Andrew continue on his own. It was such a beautiful morning that I jogged slowly up the road, got out my bike and decided to try some cycling instead. I caught up with Andrew and cycled back and forward, trying to encourage him (probably annoying him no end!) and cycled 22 miles all in all. The big encouragement for me was that it was dead easy. I averaged about 19 m.p.h. and hardly broke sweat. Maybe I'm getting fitter than I thought?

I rested Sunday and have been on two gentle jogs on Monday and Tuesday, just slow and steady, with no adverse effects at all. In fact tonight I ran for 35 minutes without a single twinge. Maybe I'm healed. I'll do a few more easy but longer runs this week but this weekend is our Church Weekend Away so I won't get a run in until Monday. Here's hoping that that's my tweaky muscle over for the next few months.

I still haven't entered the Luton Marathon yet as I need to arrange some cover for me for that Sunday before I can enter. I must get on with it.

By the way, I've been letting my nutrition slip a bit recently. Too many sausage rolls at lunch time and too many chocolate bars in between. I have decided to make lunchtime a fruit only time and also to cut out all chocolate until Christmas (when I shall gorge myself good and proper!) I'm also upping my water intake to avoid dehydration.

I'm 50 years old next week (11th November) and so I'll get to run in the veterans section of the next marathon - whoopee!