Marathon preparation continues...

Out the door a bit after midday for 36km - four laps of the Bay Run, including the Dog Run extension. I ran the first one anti-clockwise, two and three clockwise, and the last one anti-clockwise again, for a bit of variation and to ensure I encountered differing hills and wind conditions.

Wind seemed to be predominantly from the south, and was problematic heading south on both sides of the Iron Cove, particularly on the east side where it was a factor from the Leichhardt pool all the way to the bottom of the Dog Run. Would have been nice to not have it, but my reasoning is the harder it is in training, the easier it is in the race.

I managed the 36km in 2:39:43 for 4:26 per km pace. I figured 40 minutes for each 9km lap was a good target, and was comfortably under it for the first two laps, held it on lap 3, and probably managed a 41 minute lap for the last lap - the long drag home into the wind over the last 2.75km proved hard, and it got pretty tough over that period, which I guess is the point of these longer training runs. You go through the phase of wondering why you do this to yourself, if it's like this now what's it going to be like faster and longer on the day, and so on.

I was planning to run out the full 2:45, but Illie was a bit of a problem over the last two laps, and I got a weird pain in one of the toes of my left foot. I've got a massage with Easy Tiger on Tuesday, and Martin Horne next week, so should hopefully be on top of these promptly.

One down, one to go.