Paul Walters runs the London Marathon



Report from Monday 22nd January 2001

Colds

On Christmas Day 2000, I started with a bad cold, which stopped me from running for almost two weeks - quite a setback.

Last year in early January I ran the Tadworth 10 - a ten mile race starting and ending on Epson race course. I had such a marvellous run last year that I thought that I'd run it again this year, although I decided to run the Tadworth 5 instead - just one circuit or the course rather than the two of the ten mile race. Although I completed the course with a slow time (just over 40 minutes), I felt that I ran a strong race, and finished well. This was my first race since the London Marathon last year.

Since running the Tadworth 5, I have made sure that I have run three times a week, and have run over a ten miles distance twice. I ran the last ten miles on Saturday, and I felt that I ran strongly, and my legs feel fine now with no after effects. I'm hoping to keep running in one training run a week over ten miles, and will build this up to running about fourteen miles soon. I also want to build up my weekly running mileage - it ideally needs doubling.

I have two marathon preparation runs; the Fleet half marathon on March 18th, and the Gatwick half marathon on April 1st.

12 months ago, I felt very fit, but I started suffering from injury. I had shin splints, ligament problems and pulled calf muscles by the time I had run the marathon, and I was also fairly unfit because I had to stop training to rest up the injuries. This year I intend to try to peak my fitness level in April rather than January. I'm also hoping to continue training after the Marathon, to run in the Dorking 10 in June, and ultimately a marathon in 2002.

I do not have many sponsors yet, but I have already sent £300 to the NSF, largely due to some computer jobs I have done for people in aid of my fund.

This morning, I started with yet another cold - my third in two months. I'll get out training again as soon as I can.

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