I completed my Saturday run of 2 hours 40 minutes, although I was running with a strained hamstring. I felt it twinge about 20 minutes into the run and decided to run through the niggle. I purposefully avoided running off curbs to minimise any shock.

It still feels strained today, so I won't go for my run. I think it will be best if I wait until it is better before I go running again. I don't want to get an injury at this stage of my training.

I decided to forgo my run tonight, because my hamstring was feeling a little strained from last night. It will be good to give it some rest before my next run. I don't want to get an injury when I'm on such a good roll with my marathon training!

Wednesday's run was for 1 hour, rather than 45 minutes. I just did the usual 45 minute run, but ran the whole loop of the forest track. This run was too short, only 55 minutes. I will have to think of a way to increase it.

On these runs my mouth is so dry by the end. I relish the cold drink once I'm back inside. I am concerned about how I will cope for the 2 hour run on Saturday. Maybe I should just repeat the 30 minute loop, 4 times? I could drink more often, but the run would be less interesting.

Last night's run left me feeling the same. It was a good run, but I just felt so drained by the end of it.

Monday's run was again at a slower pace than usual. I took 1 hour 5 mins, rather than the 1 hour flat that I was getting close to before I went to Croatia.

Last night's 30 min run was also relaxed. When I was running home, there was a woman walking on the footpath. I swerved onto the road to avoid her, and she also walked onto the road! So, I needn't have run off the footpath in the first place.

My legs are sore. I'm considering not doing anything on Friday (aside from walking to and from the train station) just to give my legs a rest.

My two runs in the weekend were slow. The 90-minute run is usually one of my better runs, but not this time. By the time I had finished the first "loop" I was already 10 minutes slower than last time. So, instead of doing the 30-minute run as a second loop, I ran to Goirkestraat and around the block.

With the Saturday run still in my mind, I ran the Sunday run slowly too. It is usually my worst run of the week, anyway. Keeping the slow pace was a good idea.

I didn't do any running in Croatia, but I went for a few swims!

I got back to Tilburg on Tuesday (July 29) but I decided to forgo the run. I wanted some time to relax and recover from the train rides.

I went for my 45 minute run on Wednesday. It was easy. Perhaps that is because of the long break that I just had? It was also the last run that I had with my old running shoes. I have been running with them for at least 3-4 years. They had huge hole all over the place, so it was time for a change.

I got my new running shoes on Thursday in a package sent from home. Yes! They are called "Adidas Supernova". Hmmm. I was excited about trying them out. They feel a bit tight. Maybe that's just because I need to wear them in. And, I have been used to running in those old, loose running shoes. I went for the one hour run. After about 20 minutes, I felt a little drained of energy (perhaps, because of the heat?) so I slowed down a little. I felt better by the halfway mark, and had a nice run back to Hasseltstraat.

It felt good to stretch after the run. I was worried that not stretching for 10 days would have been harmful, but I don't seem to have lost that much flexibility.

Wednesday night was so hot, but I was looking forward to the 45-minute run. I wanted to have a really good sweat! Run a little faster than usual and get some frustration out of me. I think I benefitted from not going for a run on Tuesday. The run felt easy. When I got back, I finished the whole bottle of cordial drink - 1.5 litres!

There was a reception event at Steven's house on Thursday. We were going to play some sport, so I decided to forgo my 1-hour run. It wasn't as "active" as I was hoping, but maybe it will be beneficial for me to have a break like this again.

I am not going running for the next 10 days because I am going to Croatia for an AIESEC conference. If I have opportunities to go running there, then that's a bonus.

As I did a lot of walking yesterday, I didn't go on my 30-minute run.

I have reached somewhat of a plateau with my running. The Saturday 90-minute run felt the same, or slightly worse, than the same run the week before. It feels good to run with a short haircut, though!

On Sunday, Steven called me to see if he could go on the run too. I accepted. It was just a 30 minute run that day. I wanted to run slowly, but probably ran a little faster because of the extra person being there. I think that's my competitive nature! It was Steven's first run for a while. He plays hockey, instead. So, a few times we stopped and walked. I ended the run with a sprint over the last 200 metres.

Monday night's run was not very good. I think this is because I hadn't had much to eat at work. My stomach was empty. My energy level was low by the time I had finished the first side of the Ringbaan, and I maintained a very slow pace for the rest of the run. I just wanted to keep running, and not stop to walk. My time was 1 hour 5 minutes - much slower than last week. I say "much", but it was only 5 minutes slower! I relished the chilled cordial when I got back inside.

I forgot to have anything to drink before last night's 1 hour run. So, I felt so hot and dehydrated by the time I got back. The weather is so hot these days! It was a good run, nevertheless. I ran past a group of kids who were having a water balloon fight. I was secretly hoping that I would be hit by a water balloon, but it didn't happen.

Last night, I went for my 45 minute run - from my house to university and back. I was well within 45 minutes. I might extend the run around the university ground, or maybe run a longer circuit in the park towards the halfway mark.

I played hacky after the run too. I was so warm and well stretched - it was great!

On Tuesday, I went out slowly, on purpose. I wanted to see if I had the discipline to run a slow 30-minute run. It went better than the Sunday night run, but it still didn't feel as good as the one on Monday. My time was under 30 minutes for the 3rd time in a row. Perhaps 30 minutes is not so hard for this run after all.

Saturday's run was great! It is the second time that I have done the 2-stage 90 minute run, and I almost knocked 5 minutes off the last time. OK, I'm not really supposed to be going out for speed, but it is nice to see some improvement.

On Sunday, I went out for the 30 minute run too fast. I felt terrible, but still managed to break 30 minutes. I need to maintain my discipline and not run too fast.

Monday's run was 60 minutes - the Ringbaan run. I had a headache from thinking too much at work, and this was the ideal remedy. I felt much better after the run. And, I was again very close to breaking 1 hour.

I am stretching for longer after each run. I think that is important to do.

I am finding that longer runs are more fun. I went for an hour long run last night, and it felt better than my 45-minute or 30-minute runs. I am definitely getting better - I need to run further before turning around in order to make up the full hour.

I had to extend my 45- minute run. Usually, I run from my place to the university, around the carpack and back to my place. But yesterday, when I had completed the run, it had only been 41 minutes. So, I ran to the next significant intersection, around the block and back. This pushed it up to 45 minutes.

My run last night was wicked! It was the 30-minute run, so naturally I ran at a faster pace than my longer runs. I always do that, even when deep down I know that I should be pacing myself. When I got to my street, I ran faster to try to break the 30 minute barrier. I was helped by a group of kids who decided to run alongside me. By the end of the run, I was sprinting, and I managed to smash the 30 minute barrier. My time was 28 minutes 48 seconds. That record may stay for a while.

I got home from work late, on Monday, so I didn't go for my run until about 8pm. It was my usual 60 minute run - around the Ringbaan. I was still fresh by the end of the run. My time was 1 hour and 54 seconds. I know that I am just going running for time, and not for speed, but I think I will break 1 hour for this run soon.

My Thursday night run was great! Usually I turn around after I reach a certain cafe, but when I got there, I had only been running for 28 minutes. It wasn't time to turn around yet! So, I ran for another 400 metres before I decided to come back.

Friday was a rest day.

Saturday's run was the longest of the week - 90 minutes. I placed a drink outside the garage, so I could refresh myself after the first hour. I did my 60 minute run coupled with my 30 minute run. Having the drink really made a difference - I felt much better after the drink stop and the last 30 minutes of the run were fairly easy.

I am pleased with how my training is going right now. I feel fit and my legs feel stronger.

I haven't made a post here for a while, so it is time to start again.

I am in the Netherlands on my traineeship, and I have commenced training for my first marathon! It will be on October 19 and it is the Amsterdam marathon. Dad has sent me a detailed running programme and I have started it. It requires me to run 6 times each week. The longest run is on Saturday, and Friday is a rest day.

Tonight, I am going on a 1 hour run. This is the typical Thursday night run - for the next 4 weeks, at least!

In line with my comments yesterday, I decided to go on a longer run today. I went out with the idea that speed didn't matter as much - I just needed to spend some time on the road. And, that I did. The run was 55 mins long and it was at a good pace. I probably don't have time to go for a run tomorrow, because all of the stuff that I'm doing. Perhaps on Wednesday.