Various runs, Weekly Results 24th September

In line with last week’s aims, I have put in a few more km this week – 61.6 to be exact, making my longest distance week while training for Dublin, and all various variations of the ‘Injury Run.’ The leg has been fine, though I have acquired a bit of pain in the right hip joint…well I now have 5 days’ off as I will be in West Africa until Friday, and won’t take the trainers…force myself to rest a bit, before the Powerade half marathon next Sunday, and the last Christianshavnermilen the Monday afterwards.

The runs this week have been 17.0km on Monday – Injury run plus 2 lakes, 19.2km on Wednesday – as for Monday’s but with an extra lap of Kastellet and a dogleg past the office, the 10.8 km Injury Run on Saturday (the now- standard Saturday morning hangover run), and the 14.6 km Injury Run plus 2 lakes today – in which I comfortably beat my record to finish in 57 minutes, 55 seconds – almost 2 minutes faster than the last one. And it felt fine!

I watched part of the Berlin Marathon this morning – a couple of friends have gone there to run it. A shame Gebreselassie didn’t quite manage the record – 1 minute and 1 second out, having been within the record time at the 35km mark. Being an ex-Kenyan of sorts, I’d rather the Kenyans held it, but Gebreselassie was looking good to take it – running the last 10km solo can’t have been easy.

I ran it somewhat more slowly in 2004, actually my slowest marathon time (3 hours 41), having not trained a great deal – I had had a minor injury and a cold in the month leading up to it. Well things are looking OK now, despite the injury scare at the end of August, so hopefully they will continue in that way up to Dublin. I’ve now run 415 km since I was meant to have run the Copenhagen Marathon, of which 103 are this month and 185 were last month.

The aim now is a few days’ off, then 2 ‘big weeks’ in the start of October – starting with Sunday’s half marathon. Then the wind down and Dublin right at the end of the month.

Distance run this week: 61.6km

Distance run to date: 415.6km

Distance cycled this week: 0km

Distance cycled to date: 139km

Distance rowed this week: 0km

Distance rowed to date: 77.3km

I have made a bet with a German colleague for a crate of beer that I can cycle to Hamburg from here within 2 days. Neither of us knew how far it was at the time – but I have since checked and it is ‘only’ about 350km if you go south and across the ferry from Rødby. Should be easily possible – just need to find a suitable time to do it!