April

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This month was all about Paris. I dialled down the distances but kept the intensity high. I managed to be sensible and mature about what I did and when. Not something that comes naturally.

On the day I managed a good time but short I what I could have done. This was due to factors outside of my control but the week after I went on a bit of a downer. I didn't want to run and lost my mojo completely. Thankfully it soon returned and I managed to finish the month strongly.

Achievements

155 miles run
No alcohol
A balanced diet
Paris Marathon completed in 3.27.12
Daily yoga stretches and core work

Goals for May

Cakeathon marathon
No alcohol
A balanced diet
Daily yoga stretches
Reach 1000 miles for year

Highlight

It has to be Paris. My first marathon outside the UK. Despite a heavy cold and not finishing as quickly as I'd hoped it was an unforgettable experience. 

Best run

Even somewhere as beautiful as Folkestone can become boring when you have run a few thousand miles around it. This month I tried to think of some new ways to make my runs more interesting. One morning I decided to run around all the churches in Folkestone - 16 in total and a half marathon distance. Another day I did 13.1 miles visiting as many of the Martello Towers as I could find - 11 in total.

Lessons learned

Sometimes you can't achieve your goals for reasons beyond your control. This was the case in Paris when I was all set for a 3.15, had done everything right but then was struck by a cold the week before. Just have to chalk it down to circumstances and try again another time while enjoying the experience.

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