London Marathon Training: Week -14

Stats this week - Miles 41, weight 166.5lb.

A full training week. Back on the track on Tuesday, this time for 20 x 200m. You go very fast, and just about finish the 200m before you clog up with lactate (or whatever technically it is, but this will suffice for now!), and then rest for 30 secs, then you're off again. Gobsmacked to hit the pace that I did, very consistent 38 secs for each rep. Not having done these before, I was not aware of quite how tough they are, especially afterwards, compared to longer sets. Although short they are very fast. I went to a circuits class on Wednesday, thinking all was ok..until the warm up, when I found that someone had replaced my legs with blocks of lead. The only word is mashed. At the gym on Thursday I could hardly do more than 20 mins steady on the bike, and had to cry off even 5 mins on the treadmill. I was seriously leg-weary. So, Friday's run was converted to some sports massage..altogether a wise choice. The good news is that through all of that I was tired but not injured. Apparently I will 'feel the benefit' in a couple of weeks..we shall wait expectantly!

I have been struggling this week to stop the snacking...this is not going to help lose the 6 or so lbs that I want to drop. I know that I am going to have to start focusing on this, and controlling it a bit, for my weekly running should be 'worth' about 1.5lbs, less whatever you put back on, which is pretty much at the moment netting out. Sure, you have to get the balance there, can't not eat, just got to eat the right food. After all I am lucky in that I am not trying to reduce calories, I am just trying to balance them out to keep the body fuelled and healthy for the runs, whilst not undoing this good work with fatty nibbles. I am keeping off the chocolate, though, which is a start!

Seems like that's a great segway into this week's wine, which is a classed-growth claret from a mixed case bought some years ago for (thankfully) around 1/3 of the current rate - Chateau Batailley 2003, 5th growth Paulliac, Bordeaux (£35-£40 bt) - a wine that is pleasing, but ultimately not great value, given what else you could buy at this price. The blend is 70% Cabernet, 28% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. This wine took several hours to soften out with breathing - I am rapidly learning that great Bordeaux seems to need at least 3 hours, and can take 4 or 5. This does mean that Janet sees me uncorking wine at about 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, leading to suspicions that I am 'tucking in' before the sun is over the yard-arm, the universal curfew hour of 6pm. And sometimes that may be true..but not with Claret unless I opened it before I went out for my long run at about 9am...anyway, back to the wine! A pleasing nose, gentle blackcurrants and a bit of meatiness. On the palate, good fruit, a bit lean on flavour, and fades quickly. Nice enough...but as I say above, I really am struggling to see why I should shell out for this kind of wine when there are so many better wines from Burgundy, Rhone, Brunello, Margaret River Cab...etc etc etc. Sorry, but there it is. I was also a bit surprised as 2003 was the 'hot' vintage in Bordeaux, so I expected warmer fruit.

Finally, a shout out for a great pub-restaurant that I used for a meeting on Friday - the Carnarvon Arms near Newbury. Just off the A34, mighty convenient, a lovely casual meeting space and a fantastic lunch.

Pip Pip.