March 2015

[marathondan]

Wednesday - 5 miles offroad intervals around the field, under a starry sky and waxing crescent moon. My splits are nowhere near what they were for this workout, but of course the total distance and the sprints are getting longer, and the recoveries shorter. At around three quarters of an hour, this session is over in a flash compared with the others.

This morning - tempo run around the field (long loop), just a shade under 10 miles. Out at 0520, pleased to see that dawn had already put in an appearance. Damp underfoot after recent rain, and my new Asics got their first serious taste of mud. This was hard from the start, and I was very tempted to can it after about three miles, and go home to create my fundraising page. But gradually I settled into a rhythm and, while I certainly wasn't enthusiastic about completing the distance, carrying on didn't seem such a bad option. Pace was truly woeful for a tempo run, but the effort level was reasonably high, which is what matters. Next week is the peak week - I'm really in the hardest part now, and I just need to power through. It may not be pretty, but I just have to do what I can.

Step-back long run on Sunday - scheduled for the dress rehearsal. This time round I might actually wear the mask. Last time round I bottled it. I'll probably go out at 11 minute miling (4:45 marathon pace) and see how I go.

I know that jinxes and suchlike don't exist, so I will confidently mention that all systems seem to be working well at the moment (apart from a slight chafing issue). Recovery from the long runs is taking a full 48 hours, but there are no ongoing niggles. There is the merest suggestion that the former problem achilles isn't quite as good as the other one, but I've done a road 20 miler now without anything resembling an issue. I haven't had a cold for a couple of months, which according to the law of averages, probably means I'm due one. Fortunately, the law of averages also doesn't exist.

Till next time, rationalism fans!