February 2005 - Week 4

[El Gordo]

Well if we had light evenings, I might well do Sweder, but as none of the lanes have pavements, my only long run potential round here is along the canal, and I can't do that in the dark.

Don't beat yourself up about it. You did a good 10 miler on Thursday - that can be your long run for the week. You've done two recent half marathon races with another next weekend, so it's wise not to overdo it...

Look at the dates:

6 March - both: Reading Half Marathon
13 March - me: Silverstone Half Marathon You: 20?
20 March - me: 20, You: 15?
27 March - final long run for London. You: 20?
3 April - final long run for Hamburg Me: 20 You: 12?
10 April Me: 12 You: 8?
17 April - You: London Marathon Me: 8
24 April - Me: Hamburg Marathon You: pub

Between next week's half and the traditional final long run (3 weeks before the race), you have 2 weekends. So perhaps a 20 on March 20, a 15 the following one, then another 20. That should definitely be OK. If you're still feeling short of miles you could push the start of your taper back a week, and fit in a third 20.

My plan is to do 2 x 20s. That will be enough for me.

So yeah, it would have been nice to have tucked a really long one under the belt today but it's just not significant in the big picture view. The importance is probably more psychological than anything.

The worry is the injuries. If they don't start to clear up within 10 days then obviously you're going to get anxious. But time isn't an immediate concern..

For my part, it's not been a great running weekend either. I thought I'd aim for a 20 but I hadn't actually planned it, and in the end it just got buried beneath the patio, as it were. Or the base of the shed as it actually was. As you say, it was still a pretty physical weekend and I'm knackered, so I don't feel too bad about that. Just 18 miles this week in total. Not great, but not disastrous either.