So I am now officially training for the London marathon in April. It is going well so far, I did five runs this week including a 10 miler today. It went better than expected considering I had my friend hangover along for the run. But the Bowie tribute band and few shots of tequila were worth the mild discomfort this morning.

What was most surprising about the run today was that I was not alone. The Thames path turned into runner’s highway with Battersea park being the absolute popularity winner. I am not sure why I was not expecting the runners – it is a beautiful and sunny day, most of the London marathoners have embraced the necessity to train and the new year’s resolutions are still going strong too. (But hey, I have not expected snow in Iceland in January either.) It was a nice change to have company compared to my training for Toronto where I met runners on the same route very sporadically.

Although running is an individual sport, I find that running with someone or in a group keeps me motivated. Actually just seeing other runners motivates me. It is a boost for my determination as it is not alway easy to stick to the training plan. Now my mind is set on discipline, my body will eventually catch up to my pre-Toronto level of fitness, the only thing now remains is to stop snoozing and/or turning off the alarm on Saturdays and get up to join the park runs again.

Total milage for this week: 26 miles / 42 km

Parkrun UK