Wednesday night is curry night.

[Seafront Plodder]

It wasn't supposed to be, it just sort of turned into one. Life's like that sometimes and I just have to get used to it.

After my 11 miler on Monday, I opted for a 2 mile recovery stroll-along-the-seafront yesterday. What with 1 1/2 hours of non-cross training tennis (thanks Hal!) tomorrow, this evening was the ideal for a midweek run. Well, as it's Wednesday it just sort of fell into place really!

I drove down to the local curry house and parked. It has the good sense to be situated about 200 yards from the seafront, so when on ordering, I got the compulsory 20 minutes Mr Bee Sop, this time I actually replied, 'No! make it 40!'

And off I went. Aiming for however long I could run in 40 minutes.

I plodded down to the seafront and along, wondering whether this run, coming soon after 11 miles and tight calfs was a good idea. But then I started thinking......Better runners than I, well yes Sweder for one, would do 12 miles off road and then a speed track session just two days later! Could I?

Before I know it, that thought and a few others had seen me through the first mile and felt very easy; with none of the usual breathlessness that so often is the first mile - and no twinges from the calfs or anywhere else! So I decided to step up the pace Maybe even turn it into a speed session, for as long as I could!

Bugger me I stopped the garmin at 3.5 miles, having run for 32.21 minutes. OK that's not exactly going to have Haile Gebreselassie quaking in his nikes, but for me..... And with the slow plodding first mile, I felt sure that the next 2.5 were going to show some damn fine speed.

[sadgeekalert]I actually couldn't wait to get home and download the data to see my mile splits![/sadgeekalert]

The downside of this faster run was that the ruby wasn't ready, so I was forced to take shelter in a pub and wait. Sitting there, no stretches and rehydrating on beer may not be ideal, but it sure beats waiting in the cold.

Pint in hand, playing with the garmin I found out that the info is all there. You don't have to download it! My mile splits were .......well OK that is too dull, but the last full mile was 8:41 and the last half mile was 8:22.

Sadly, I also found out from Mr garmin that I burnt 408 calories, which I seem to recall is bang on the number of calories in a pint!

So calorifically (?) neutral for the evening I drive home. Content with the night's work, and looking forward to my longest run of the year in warmer climes this coming weekend.

[Sweder]

Great session SP . . . and a good run to go with it
I think its more important to gague how you're feeling before a run rather than worry too much about what you did yesterday. Some people can adhere religiously to weekly patterns without deviation. Personaly I love it when that unexpected run opportunity presents itself (as it did today).

My mile splits were .......well OK that is too dull, but the last full mile was 8:41 and the last half mile was 8:22.

Bit worried about the stats there old man . . . the first half of your last mile (ooh err, getting dizzy now) was completed in . . . 19 seconds? Now that's impressive.

Mr Gebreselassie would like it to be known he wouldn't be seen dead in Nike's. He's sponsored by Addidas (and wears off-the-shelf £40 ones at that). Bet you can't guess where I picked up that nugget . . .

[Seafront Plodder]

mins/mile pace. Smartarse!

[Sweder]