March

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Another strong month. In fact, I managed the most miles I have ever run in one month – 226. Not only did John and I complete the Medway Megalith Trail Marathon in 4 hours, but we also managed to finish the Lydd 20 in two and a half hours despite 50mph winds.

This was the month that the C25K group graduated and all of them did so with flying colours. Our last run was Folkestone parkrun which we celebrated with coffee and cake as per.

Hill reps took a backseat after week one, but I did achieve a crown on Strava for the fastest ever Castle Hill x 5.

Achievements

226 miles run
No alcohol
A balanced diet
2 crowns on Strava – Castle Hill x 5 and Gospel Hall to the Black Cow
Medway Megalith Marathon completed in 4 hours
Lydd 20 completed in high winds
Daily yoga stretches and core work
Finished the 9 week C25K programme

Goals for April

Rest before Paris Marathon
Marathon PB (sub 1:24)
No alcohol
A balanced diet
Daily yoga stretches and core work
Add arm, shoulders and back work

Highlight

No question the highlight of this month was accompanying my fellow C25Kers around Folkestone parkrun and seeing them all complete 5K for the first time. The commitment, perseverance and strength – both mental and physical – they all showed was inspiring.

Best run

In terms of performance it is close between Medway and Lydd so I’ll call it a tie. Lydd was a real battle against crazy winds and I was surprised to see we had somehow managed 7:30 min/miles. Medway on the other hand involved over 2500 feet elevation and the last 6 miles I was running alone. However, a fourth place finish is something I was very proud of.

Lessons learned

That clean living, good diet and core work is paying off.
      Watching others attain their goals is as enjoyable as achieving my own.

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