GCM 2011 - Chapter One

It's been awhile since I wrote something here. Thanks Guardio for looking after my blog, I'll pass on those $299 Rolex watches, but keep the comments coming.

The point of this is to record my experience in preparation for this marathon. 3 weeks out now, I'm ready, tapering, and have put so much into the preparation. I will look back on this one day, even just to check distances done, how I feel, weight and whatever stats. So much has happened and I can not remember all of it even now ... or why!

The hunt for the book was back in December last year. It might have started then, but I think all I wanted was to get a copy whilst in the US. I was finishing reading Born To Run. When we came home from the States, there were floods. I had a new job and something of a career change, new life patterns, weekends to fill, training can be a rock ... perhaps that was it. By February, I was running with Pete and Co and the program kicked in Feb 28th. I think all that was on my mind was the question of whether I would be up to running with these guys. Last time my body told me I wasn't up to it. The injuries of early 2010 saw me re-adjust plans to pacing 3:30's. Kurrawa was my first real race.

I started having made my way back to good distances from finishing the Goofy Challenge in January. I was getting back to 70k weeks. Pre run weight was 75.4kg and after run weight was 73.5kg. I have a photo that I took at the time for reference.

I have finished this training cycle at 71.5/69.4kg ... 4kg lighter. Finished the main part anyway, there is still a taper ahead.

.... this is going to take awhile to write, so i'll do it in parts.

I honestly do not know when I started this path and I do think part of it was curiousity. The first test was Day 2, lactate threshold and from there a committment grew.