Last Sunday, I ran in my second Amsterdam marathon. This was my first marathon, back in 2003, when I got a time of 4 hours and 28 minutes.  I was happy to be going back to the same place, 9 years later, to do my 6th marathon.

I was very happy with the result: 4 hours 1 minute and 47 seconds.  I felt like this was going to be a turning point for my marathon running.  If I were to have a race similar (in performance) to the recent Paris marathon, then I may have thought that I would never break 4 hours again.  As it turns out, I improved my time by over 40 minutes and I am in a confident frame of mind as I get back into my training.  I am planning to run the Vienna marathon in April next year and I will be targeting a personal best.

The course had changed from what I remembered.  Barely 2km into the race, we were running through Vondelpark.  We would run back through the park at the 39-40km mark.  There were also parts around the 30km mark that I couldn't remember.  I was telling myself about a hairpin turn that was coming up, but it never came.  The main section of the course - the long section alongside the Amstel river (and back) - hasn't changed.

I set off at a slow pace: I covered the first 5km in just over 30 minutes.  I think the only reason why I ran at this pace was because I had told Angel that I would be running at a 6min/km pace so she could predict where I would be on the course at what time.  Aside from right at the end, that was the slowest part of the race for me.  I would maintain a steady 27-28 minutes for each 5km from that point on.  Throughout, I had been targeting a 4 hours 14 pace (which I think is almost exactly 6 min/km pace) and I would work out how much of a time buffer I had at each km mark.  (This was easy because I just needed to remember the 6x table.)

Unlike the Paris marathon, Angel saw me a few times in the race: at around 7km, 27km and 37km.  It is great when you recognise support in the crowd and it gave me a boost each time.

From around 15km, I noticed a girl in a yellow top running at what seemed like a good pace, so I decided to pace myself against her.  She steadily passed people, so I kept up with her.  I kept up with her until the 30km mark, when I went to the side of the track and did some stretches.

From the 30km mark onwards, I tried a psychological trick of pretending that I was out on a 10km run.  I literally kept saying to myself "This is a 10k run... this is a 10k run, so you will run at 10k pace and pass all these slow runners".  It definitely worked.  In the last couple of marathons I had hit the wall at this point, but I seemed to maintain my pace, perhaps run even faster than I had in the first 30km.  Sure, my legs were sore, but I wasn't mentally affected by the run, which is the greatest danger in the second half of a marathon.  I passed the girl in the yellow top at around the 36km mark.

Just as we got into Vondelpark, at around 39km, I hit the wall mentally and pretty much decided that I couldn't run further.  I had cramp across my shoulders and my calf muscles felt like they would burst.  I walked for the next 200m, resigned that I might be walking for the next half an hour, at least.  But a runner past me called out for me to keep trying, and then the girl in the yellow top caught up and told me to "come on!".  That was the push I needed, so I started running again.  It was a slow jog, more like 6'30 or 7min/km pace, but it was still much faster than walking.  Also, it was probably better for my recovery to keep running, rather than walk and get cold.

I checked my watch at the "1km to go" milestone and saw that I had taken 3 hours 55 minutes and 30 seconds.  I decided that it was too hard to try cracking the 4 hours and I just maintained the same pace.  I wasn't too worried that I didn't beat 4 hours.  I was just pleased with the big improvement from last time.

While I was waiting for Angel at the agreed meeting spot, I kept my legs moving and did stretches.  I could still walk properly which was another great improvement compared to Paris, when I didn't do this after finishing that race.

I had a couple of good Sunday runs leading up to my week of tapering for the marathon.  I bought a special belt which can store a small amount of wine gums and I wear it on the long runs.  I am very pleased with this purchase.  I hardly notice that I am wearing it and it doesn't move around while I run.  It looks small, but I can actually cram in a lot of things.  This belt full of sweet snacks and a small bottle of water have combined to make my long runs more manageable.

I did the Tate Britain run under these conditions last fortnight and my time improved by a full 20 minutes.  I am still surprised by the variation.

The marathon is in two days.  I will be happy if I can run the whole way.  I am still undecided about my strategy to do this.

I had a very enjoyable run on Thursday night. I did my Bromley-by-Bow run which is 9.3km. I started conservatively, as usual, but there were long stretches where I felt good stretching my legs at a decent pace. The stretches were good afterwards. I had no discomfort in my knees.

In contrast, Saturday's run was dissatisfying. I did the run to the office and back. It felt like the sun was shining too brightly. My top got heavy with my sweat and it felt uncomfortable. Even the stretches afterwards felt like a burden. I won't be running in that particular black top again.

The marathon is only 3 weeks away.  I went back up to the Tate Britain run - my longest run.  I need to do this run at least a couple more times before the marathon.  One of those times was today and the second time will be next week.

I carried a small bottle of water - the one that I got when I did the JP Morgan run a couple of months ago.  It is an ideal size.  Big enough to carry a decent amount of water, but small enough to not be a hassle for me to carry in my hand.

The run was ok: legs were not too tired, but I noticed that I was a bit down on energy from 7km left to go in the run.  I think I need to get a running pouch/bag of some sort, so I can carry some sweets with me to boost energy levels when I need it.  I don't care about the style, so long as it doesn't take up much room and doesn't move around when I'm running.

I noticed that I had done this run in around 2 hours 47 minutes when I ran it in April this year and today's run took 3 hours 8 minutes.  That's quite a big variance!  Granted, there were a few times during today's run when I fully stopped and did a range of stretches for 3-5 minutes, but I still thought that it would even out in the end.  I am aiming for a sub 3 hour run next week.

I am still working on the strength of my knees and the muscles that support them: the quads.  When I'm waiting in a queue, I will balance on one foot and raise the other leg, bent at the knee, or I will do some gentle squats.

Someone vandalized the apartment block gym, so it was closed off for the past week. I have been doing a half hour run along the side of the dock instead of the usual half hour bike ride or row. The half hour run is a simple "out and back" done three times. I have done this run twice now and I am running times slightly on either side of 29 minutes. I haven't felt my best on the runs, but the times appear to be quite good: around 4 mins 20 per km. It made me suspect that I undermeasured the run, so I took 200m off it when I added it to my spreadsheet.

I had a week off from my exercise schedule because I was recovering from a sore throat. This is frustrating, particularly when it is only a month out from the marathon. I got back into the schedule on Saturday.

I ran slowly on purpose as it takes me at least a km or so before I am warmed up. I chose to follow the benchmark run, hopeful that they had taken down the fence around the Excel arena. I was unlucky: the barriers won't be down until Tuesday. So I ended up doing an extended run. I was a bit out of breath at the end, but I had a good round of stretches in the gym. I wandered over to the grass outside the new Crystal building, but that was also closed off.

I decided to do the Tate Britain run on Sunday. This is my longest run and I estimate it takes 3 hours. I notice that there are sections of my long run where I always feel a bit drained (Commercial Rd) and others where I always seem to feel fresh (running down Kingsway, towards Aldwych).

I bought a 500ml bottle of water from a convenience store near Westminster bridge. It was a quarter the size and double the price of the bottle of water I got last fortnight. In any case, it was probably the right size for me on this run. I had a third of it immediately, then drank the rest in bursts until I had finished it after London Bridge. I felt better for having the water, but it was offset by feeling a little bit bloated.

At Wapping, my legs were tired but ok. But my back felt funny and it was uncomfortable to run. I ended up walking much of the rest of the way home. The time was 3 hours and 15 minutes. I might need to do more exercise that strengthens the upper body, and also stretches for my back.

I did the Credit Suisse and back run on Saturday. I had had a very sweet crepe for lunch earlier, so I was full of sugar. But I crashed from the sugar high and felt a bit low on energy on the way home. I forgot my watch and estimated the time.

I chose the Westminster run on Sunday, so it would be my longest run for a few months. Last week, I noticed that my legs were ok but I needed to be more hydrated. I haven't noticed any drinking fountains on my long running routes. I took some change with me so I could buy a drink during the second half of the run. I got a two-liter bottle of water for 47p from the M&S near Southwark. It was obvious that this was way too much water! Another runner was coming past, so I offered him some of the water which he accepted. I had a few big gulps myself and there was still almost all the water left.

It's a hassle to carry 1.8 liters of water with you while running. The long shape of the bottle is awkward. I swapped it from hand to hand as it got uncomfortable. Nearer home, in a park, I took another big drink then poured the rest of it over my head.

The last half hour of the run was the best I have experienced in a long run for a while. It was a good step on my training. I iced my legs extensively when I got home.

I knew that I need to go on some more long runs before the marathon, so I did the Holborn loop run on Monday.  I went out with a very measured pace, just intending to keep it steady the whole way and try to spend a lot of time on my feet.  I wasn't too concerned with getting a fast time.  I ended up with a time of around 2 hours 20 minutes, which is slow for a 25km run.  I noticed that my knees and ankles were not too sore at the end so I'm happy with this.  I think that if I had been able to drink something mid-run, then I would have had a better run and found it more enjoyable.  There may be a link between keeping hydrated during the run and how sore your muscles feel at the end?  I need to research that point.

I had a rest on Tuesday and went for a one hour run on Wednesday.  I noticed that the last 3 times I have done this run (Isle of Dogs loop) the times have been within a few seconds of each other.  Very consistent!  Again, I started off slowly and did a short stretching session just when I turned the corner in to the Isle of Dogs.  I maintained the measured pace throughout and took shorter steps when I was getting short of breath.  I could pick up the pace towards the end, which was pleasing.  I had a good session of stretching back at the apartment gym.

I was happy with today's run.  I did the Bromley-by-Bow loop and it took just over 45 minutes.  This is a reasonable time.  I started off slowly on purpose and intended to hold myself back whenever I felt any strain.  There were times when I could stretch my legs to capitalise on this restraint earlier on.  It is interesting that I ended up with a time similar to what I would get if I had gone out stronger from the start.  This further supports my theory that I start of slow and need to get warmed up before I can run these long distances.

We went to Barcelona in the weekend, so I didn't go for any formal runs, but we did do a lot of walking around.  It's not quite the same, but good to spend some time on my feet.

Whenever I can (e.g.: standing in meetings, waiting for the DLR), I have been doing squats to exercise my quads.  I am noticing some change, but I think it will need a month or so before the change is significant.

I am concerned that I haven't been on many long distance runs as part of this marathon training.  There is only two months to go and I would want to run at least 3 times greater than 180 minutes.

I am concentrating more on strengthening my knees.  It seems that the best way to do this is to strengthen my quads (because, in turn, they protect the knees).  I have found some exercises to do when I'm at home watching tv, or just waiting in line somewhere.

I decided not to go on any runs in the weekend so I wouldn't put more pressure on my knees from the impact of running.  I did a half hour row on Saturday and a half hour bike ride on Sunday.  The Olympics coverage is usually on in the gym, so I'm not missing anything.

In the last two days I have done my Bromley-by-Bow run twice.  I like to do this run at the moment because I get to run around the Olympics area and see people walking along the Greenway.  They have felt like average runs, but they have ended up being close to 5 min/km pace, which is ok for a 9km run in training.  My knees and ankles are still a bit tender.  My stretches are better.

I will watch the Olympic marathon this weekend, for some extra inspiration.

I have been for a few runs, now, while the Olympics have been on.  I have done the Bromley-by-Bow run twice, which follows much of the DLR route to the Olympic Park and includes a section along the Greenway.  Things are different now that the Olympics are on.  There are some road checkpoints near West Ham station, lots of cones and lots of volunteers in their purple and pink jackets helping people find where to go.  Along the Greenway, they have a few high chairs (like for a tennis umpire) and the people sitting in them have loudspeakers.  It has been a good atmosphere to be running in.

My times have been ok, but I have been feeling a bit bloated.  I still need to make some adjustments to my diet.

Last Sunday, I ran the Holborn loop run, which is 24.5km.  I was a bit low on energy at the start, which has been the case for many of my Sunday runs this year.  I am disappointed by this and I think it is to do with what I am eating immediately before the run.  I noticed that my right knee was tender at the end of the run.

At the end of this week, it has been my left knee which feels tender.  I was scheduled to go for a run on Thursday night, but I decided to do a half-hour bike ride so I wouldn't put too much pressure on my knee.  I had a rest day on Friday, but I still note that the knee feels tender.

My last couple of weeks of training have felt disappointing.  I missed my scheduled exercise each Thursday.  The first time, I rationalised that it was good to have an easier week to help with recovery.  The second time, I was being a bit lazy.  Particularly this last week, the mid-week exercise has felt disappointing.  I struggled to complete the half hour row on Tuesday: it was just uncomfortable to sit that long while rowing!  I don't know why this happened, I have usually had no issues with this.  On my Wednesday run, I felt a bit dizzy and had to walk for a section of the Greenway.  However, I finished strongly on that run.  It has been inconsistent.

I had an ok weekend of runs: a reasonably fast 5km on Saturday and a good 19.7km on Sunday (at around 5.2 min/km pace).  My schedule says I should be running 120 mins next Sunday.

I suspect that I am eating too much.  I'll try to keep an eye on this and not succumb to snacking.

I did my London Bridge run today, which is around 19-20km. I did three-step breathing all the way and I wasn't short of breath. I'm pleased with that. To be fair, I was doing short steps and my time was just under 1 hour 50.

I am icing my ankle while writing this post.

I had a 100-minute run planned for Sunday, but I changed my plans because I started after I had finished watching the coverage of the Wimbledon final.  According to the Runner's World advice, it may have been a good idea to shorten my run anyway.  They recommend that you build up your mileage slowly each week, but regularly have a week where you do less mileage as a means of recovery.  I ended up doing my Isle of Dogs run (11.4km) in an hour and 47 seconds.

I am concerned about my breathing capacity.  I intended to run easily with a three-step breathing pace, but it felt laboured.  I managed this until the half-way point, then I stepped down to two-step breathing.  Even then, it wasn't as easy as I would have expected.  In the final stages of the run, I was feeling bloated and a bit annoyed about the circumstance.

Stretches are going ok, but it has been hard to do my hamstring stretches my usual way because my support hand is slipping across the floor in the gym.  I ice-packed my knees and ankles as usual.  After waking up this morning, I am noticing the top of my right foot is tender.

I ran a shorter version of the Olympic Park run that I have done before. I have settled on a good course for this, so I will formally measure it and put it on my running rotation. I think it is about 9km, which is a good distance for my Saturday run.

I felt good at the start, but soon developed a shoulder stitch which stated with me for the rest of the run. I also feel a bit labored with my breathing, so the run wasn't as fun as I would expect.

I have reached the point in my running plan where I am doing four runs per week. I do an extra run on Thursdays, instead of going to the gym, to take advantage of the summer daylight hours.

I went for an hour-long run on Wednesday: the first time that I had done a run of that duration on a weekday since I have been in London. I followed this up with a fast-paced 5km run on Thursday night. I am making good progress: I can touch my foot now when I stretch my hamstring and I don't notice any tender muscles or joints when I am running.

My last long Sunday run took an hour and 50 minutes, which is slow for that distance (just under 20km) but I am not too concerned with this. I will run the same distance this coming Sunday.

I noticed that if I eat a banana right before my run, then I don't experience the energy lows which I had on recent runs.

I have had a recent series of runs where I have been low on energy.  It has usually hit me around 10 minutes into the run, then I have had to slow down and be determined to keep moving until the energy levels slowly built back up to a normal level.  I have kept the distances low until I feel like I am ready to do a run of over an hour.

I think I have reached that point.  For today's run, I ran to the Olympic Stadium and back.  It's not a run that I have settled on a formal route for and I was making up the return part as I was going, this time.  I got a good section along path next to the Lea, near Bromley by Bow.  The total run took me just under 56 minutes.  I might cut out a bit of it (to make it a circuit) and have a 50 minute run.  I felt really good today.  I started off slowly as usual and quickly got into a good rhythm.  No complaints with my knees or ankles today.  It was overcast and cool.  It was gently drizzling by the time I was coming home and this felt good.  I managed to get in a good sprint with long strides, right up to the apartment building.  It's very satisfying to end the run like that.

I had a couple of weeks off running because of the trip to Hong Kong for the wedding and our honeymoon in the Maldives.  This has made me a bit rusty.  I realised this for certain after my two runs this weekend.  I did the Royal Docks loop on Saturday, which has typically taken me 41-42 minutes.  This time, I took over 46 minutes and it felt like hard work.  I adjusted for the Sunday run, only intending to go at a slow steady pace for the whole way.  It was better than Saturday's run, but still plenty of work to go to get back to where I was before the holiday.

My legs are really unstretched: I can barely reach my ankles when stretching my hamstrings.  The icepacks are doing their job, however the biggest one split on the sides which was disappointing.  I'm not sure if it's safe to touch that blue gel, so I discarded the icepack and the teatowel I had been using the wrap it.  I still have another big pack and the little one, so I'm fine for now.

I have updated the running schedule to cover the period up until after the Amsterdam marathon.  Ah, I still need to officially enter that event!  Should get onto doing that this week.

I had a good run today: 11.4km around the Isle of Dogs.  My pace was consistent, albeit slow: still around 4hr marathon pace, but I was satisfied with it.  My left ankle feels tender when I run, but nothing that would make me stop.  It just feels noticeably more tender than the right ankle.  I iced the ankle and it feels good.

In long distance runs, once you get to a certain distance, is it better to spend less time on your feet than being afraid of running too fast?  I am thinking that if I run at a pace where I can have a comfortable conversation, then that would be the best pace for a marathon.  Any slower than that, and I would just be spending more time on my feet for no reason and would be more likely to hit the wall in the later stages of the marathon.  Getting enough water and sugar shouldn't be an issue in these well-organised races where there are tables with food/drinks every 5km or so.