Rounded off the month by successfully catching up my three runs for the week.
Friday morning saw a rare daylight outing, 3 miles tempo in crisp conditions. I dressed more sensibly this time.
Last night I pulled on the heavy gear again for 6 miles easy. The rain came and went, as it pleased. The run wasn't particularly pleasant, and at times I found I was working too hard and had to slow down a little. But there were some relatively enjoyable sections, too. Drinking was difficult, as I have to pull my face mask down, whereas I hope in a race situation I could conjure some kind of straw-based system. So I probably didn't drink enough.
Got back about 11.30, hungry, and polished off several slices of bread and honey. The watch showed only half a minute slower than the same circuit a week ago, in normal garb, so there is plenty of scope for slowing down -- 1-2 mins per mile, in fact. I need a few more long slow runs in this clobber to see if it's really feasible, or if I should go for something a bit more sensible.
Finished the month just a few hundred yards short of 50 miles. Pretty pleased with that, to get me back into the routine.
I'm genuflexing as I type; despite having a life busier than Clapham Junction on a Friday afternoon you're amanging to hit your targets with impressive regularity. I'm staring down the barrel - and I use that word in the roundest sense - of yet another mini-re-start. I doubt Captain Oates would venture onto the South Downs today, and neither shall I. I'll come back here tomorrow to rekindle my shame in case I don't fancy it then either.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Well I hope you didn't hit your head on the keyboard. But maybe I'm giving a misleading impression about my lifestyle. Occasional trips to Cambridge aside, I work flexible and short hours. The kids are a handful, but in years to come I'll look back on that as quality time, even if it doesn't always feel like it now. And I save time by not having a social life (apart from the odd whiskey session).
I know you like to push yourself hard, but are your restarts too severe? Your default week seems to be at least 2 x 5 hilly miles in the week, then 8+ miles (er, hilly again) at the weekend. My opening gambit is normally a couple of fastish 3 milers, then 5 miles slow, all flat as a pancake. Maybe you should ease in a bit more gently?
(30-11-2009, 01:42 PM)marathondan Wrote: I know you like to push yourself hard, but are your restarts too severe? Your default week seems to be at least 2 x 5 hilly miles in the week, then 8+ miles (er, hilly again) at the weekend. My opening gambit is normally a couple of fastish 3 milers, then 5 miles slow, all flat as a pancake. Maybe you should ease in a bit more gently?
It's a fair point well made Dan.
I'm a lazy toad; the 5 hilly miles start at my door and return there. I dislike running on the pavement so will always choose soft (OK, just at the moment marsh-like - see below from this morning's walk) turf over hardcore. But I can shorten my opening salvos to 3 miles, knocking out two of the toughest hills into the bargain. I'll give it a go.
The 8-miler on Sundays is a sort of minimum distance for the group. The social aspect is what hauls me out of bed that early on the day of rest so I'll keep that in the mix.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
