And so we begin

16 weeks to go (6 January 2013)

This is it: Marathon training official, week one.

It’s not the best week to begin a fitness regime, truth be told.  It’s got sizeable obstacles in terms of a) New Year’s Eve b) my best mate’s birthday c) the ice cream maker I got for Christmas and d) moving into a new house, as well as the extended hangover from a month of festivities and, well, extended hangovers.  Picking up the keys to our new place has a large impact on my To Do list, too, when my beloved and I discover some mild communication issues in our otherwise idyllic relationship:

Me: This house is just as nice as I remembered.  Where’s the furniture?

Beloved: It’s unfurnished.  I thought it would be nicer to get our own stuff.

And so we begin 2013 as we mean to go on, sleeping on the floor and scooping out handfuls of All Bran from the box like a health conscious Winnie-the-Pooh. 

I’m sitting somewhere between a beginner’s and an intermediate training plan and so I’m starting off at a relatively gentle pace, metaphorically and literally.  My longest run of the week is only meant to be 9.5km, which I usually cover on my way to the office, so I don’t overthink the transition from casual jogger to training for a marathon.

There is a stag in this picture.

It’s quite a nice way of easing myself back in to running as I shake off the remnants of my seasonal illness and I choose my runs to maximise the scenery and get the most out of our new location.  Richmond Park is only a few kilometres down the road and a chance encounter with a stag gets my adrenaline pumping: It’s not quite the same fear as spotting a fin in the water whilst surfing but it’s enough to bag me my fastest mile to date.

I’m excited by my new commute, too, as it takes me through nice bits of London I’ve never before had cause to explore: Fulham, Kensington, Knightsbridge.  Hyde Park still heralds the end of my run but I’ve now got river options to follow to relieve the monotony, with near direct routes to work all the way along the Thames Path south or north. It’s blissfully deserted most days and I really enjoy it: It’s helping tick off my main objective for doing this marathon, to distract myself from the depression that I fear will come from being back in the UK.

And as I slow down to watch the sun rise over Lots Road Power Station I have to admit: Depression couldn’t be further from my mind right now.