The shock of the training run a week ago was the motivation I needed to get my act in gear. Since then I’ve run most days getting a few long runs under my belt. I’ve also done a bit of sprint work which, if the experts are right, is a must if you’re looking to improve your marathon time. It’s certainly starting to feel a bit easier which in turn makes it less of a hurdle to get out the door in the first place. I was thinking today about the research by University College London into forming healthy habits. They concluded that it takes on average 66 days to form a new habit. This means that in the week before the marathon I should be running out the door without a moment’s thought!
I tried out some new running socks today. They are made by FoxRiver and have slightly padded toes and heels. I was impressed at how comfortable they were and they kept my toes nice and warm. One of the Running Rules of Thumb in the March issue of Runner’s World is that running any given route in the rain makes you feel 50% more hardcore than covering the same route on a sunny day. I certainly felt hardcore today as I ran into horizontal snow. My litmus test of the cold is whether my little duck dog will go in for a swim. Today I threw a good looking stick into the Serpentine. After a tentative paw dipping she gave me the “fetch it yourself” look and we were on our way. Enough said.
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Would be really interested to see the research on the 66 days to make a habit that you mention. Have you got a link?
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