"Little Kenya"

I'm now back in the UK and my second experiment into the effects of coming down from altitude seem to have been a success. I raced the Dartford 10 mile road race less than 48 hours after arriving in the country. As the race was only two weeks away from the London Marathon my plan was to run at marathon pace. It turned out to be quite an undulating route but I still managed to hit marathon pace. The first half of the race my legs didn't feel great but during the second half they felt much better and marathon pace felt quite comfortable. I lost out in a sprint finish to Andy Rayner but it was good to have a real race and it was more about how the race felt rather than the result.

I have now moved into the Run-Fast flat in London which is good because I can still train with the Kenyans and eat all the same food as when I was out in Kenya. Yesterdays training was interesting as although my legs were tired from the race I felt really good. I am hoping that everyday from now until the marathon I keep feeling better and get to race day fresh and ready to race.

I think for a marathon runner these last two weeks are the worst, trying to get your training right so you maintain your shape but aren't tired when it comes to the race, trying to eat enough but not too much or too little and trying to avoid any illnesses or injuries.