Getting the Asics Right

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Monday 28th Jan update

Good week of running - with the Asics HM plan proving very helpful structure on which to hang my training. After the sustitute 17K of Monday, I resumed Tues/Thu weekday runs in London

7K on both Tue and Thu around Regents Park and Coram Fields respectively. Each run required tempo or speed elements - so pushing me to run a little faster in sustained 1.5K or 0.75k bursts during the run. Systematically doing this definitely makes a difference to overall speed.

Saturday saw us shift to hilly Bevendean Down Park Run, rather than flattish Peacehaven, so no new PB there just yet. Given that I felt my PB on Bevendean (24:23) was already quite strong, I thought that was not a realistic target, so set off with intention just to go as quick as reasonably possible. Helpfully in a small field (30+ folks is all that Bevendean really gets) you can get up to speed quickly, and I found myself going head to head with another runner on the first lap. That kept me up to pace, and despite the fact she then pulled away from me on second lap, by the turn at the top I realised a PB was indeed on, so I used the final 1K downhill section to my best advantage. And lo by the end I had indeed done a sub-24 time, just not on the parkrun I had planned! This was 30s off what I already thought was good time for this hilly course. So very pleased as we supped our post-run coffees in the community-run Bevvy pub.

Sunday saw happy return to the twittens (clocking up my 105th), and then a run up to Black Cap and back in the afternoon to add another 14K, to make 19K for the day. Not only was this a beautiful (if blowy and chilly) trip, it was conquering a run demon from August when I had completely blown up on this same route (along the river to Offham and then up old chalk cart track through woods to Mt Harry).

So firmly on track for Almeria - but NOT going for a HM PB there since will be running with my partner and point of run is for us to do it together. So that again takes pressure off any misplaced heroics. I may try to get some sort of trail HM PB for Moyleman in March, though ...