Hey guys, quick check in: I’m very sorry, I won’t make it to our tumblr run. My foot still is a pain, I’m in ‘barely walking’ condition now. No way I can run… Anyway, have fun running through London, I’d loved to have joined you!

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View from my hotel room. Can’t complain!

A few random facts:

• My hotel room is bigger than my flat (only slight exaggeration).
• It has a scale in the bathroom. I haven’t stepped onto one in 6 months, can’t remember exactly. I’m the same weight as I was right before the Berlin marathon, after some pretty intense carb loading. Ahem.
• The minibar has pringles, sour gummy worms, brownies and honey roasted peanuts. This reflects the rest of the conference food.
• Once again, someone asked me whose lab I was a student in. Always the same on business trips. I turn 33 in a month. I’ve got two advanced degrees, wrinkles and a few white hair. I don’t even wear neon for work (most of the times).
• Oops, there you go, I did find several things to complain about after all. The talks are excellent though?

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Women’s walking next to men’s running. Seriously!?!

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It’s stupid o’clock in the morning, my foot hurts and I didn’t have breakfast yet. Speak to me again in 3 hours when I’m in Lisbon. Not functional yet.

P.S. I’d already put on half of my running clothes (after googling ‘continue running with plantar fasciitis’) before I stopped myself. What the hell are you doing? You know better!

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Berlin marathon training redux, day 5. This is not how I’d imagined the first Saturday morning of this training cycle. Except for the huge bowl of porridge, that’s obligatory ;-)

I’ve got 8 miles on my schedule today, instead of running however I slept in. Maybe you remember my bout of plantar fasciitis last fall after the marathon, my foot certainly does. I guess I’ve got some scar tissue in that heel and since last night it’s been a bit tender. No running for me today, hopefully I’ll get in a couple easy miles while I’m at the conference next week and then I’ll do the 8 miles next Saturday. Fingers and toes crossed.

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Berlin marathon training redux, day 3. 3 miles, no Garmin.

Booyah, I love marathon training. Another beautiful day, another great run. Remind me of this in a couple weeks time when I’ll tell you how it’s beyond me that I signed up for another marathon willingly, ok?

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I looked at my work schedule for next week. Not pretty, I’m going to a conference in Lisbon (my life sounds way more glamourous than it is) and our company’s travel agent booked me the most stupid flights ever. It will be nearly impossible to fit in all my marathon training runs. So, to appease my OCD training nature and to not dig myself into a hole of overtraining/no sleep/too much stress in the first week of this marathon cycle already, I decided to start my training schedule yesterday. I ran the required distance anyway, and if I start now, I can have a off-plan easy week while I’m at the conference. Yep, it’s official - crazy season has begun!

Berlin marathon training v2, day 1 and 2. 3 and 5 miles, no Garmin. I’m excited!

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I had to stop lots today to take pictures. Only because the light was spectacular, not because of beaten legs from Saturday’s 11 miles. No, not at all.

Ready or not, marathon training starts next week. Oh my.

P.S. Sonja don’t freak out, I’m starting the training plan two weeks early to get a safety cushion for vacation/conferences.

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Accidental 11 miles today.

Out and back along the Thames. I got lost right after my turn around and ran a good extra mile through an industrial area/construction site. Also, full on headwind both ways (how is this possible?) and I didn’t bring any food. Silly 007runner should know better. The eleventh mile, I felt great again, probably delirium starting to set in.

A long run is a long run, not all can be great. I take it, building stamina for Berlin, redux.