Cancel (the) Connemara Kop-out

[El Gordo]

My last run of this distance was way back in 2005. It was shortly after that I announced on this forum that the marathon mojo was well and truly lost.

The reluctant training runs prior to the 10K’s of Almeria, Crawley and Brighton were exactly that, very reluctant . But with a half in Connemara on the horizon I had to take stock, and go one of two ways. Do a couple of pre-race plods and wing it.....or, devise a plan.

Having run for an hour last weekend, I cunningly consulted the diary, and reckoned on 6 weekends before the race, and that allowed me to add 15 minutes to the long run each week, culminating in a 2:15 run the week before. Step back’s were a luxury I could ill afford.

So, today was all set for 75 minutes. I swished back the curtains this morning to be greeted by pissing rain. Ok so it was forecast, and strangely this time I didn’t dive back under the duvet and seek solace in a toasty err....special friend. Nope. Up, breakfasted and raring to go in half an hour or so.

The Worth Way once again provided the route, only this time I had to double back for 10 minutes to obtain the distance/time the schedule demanded, puffing up to the door 82 non-stop minutes later.

Strange how increasing the distance brings back forgotten niggles though. I recall I used to get a dull groin ache on longer runs, and that returned today. Never anything to stop me, but a niggle non-the-less. And I should have cut my toe nails...

Set the Iplod on shuffle, and the first track to pop in was Don McLean’s Vincent. Undoubtedly a classic, but running music?? No, track du jour was Confidence Man by Jeff Healy. I just hope that’s not too much of an omen...

Great stuff, SP. It made me feel all nostalgic (and not just towards your own running )

As discussed before, you've got a decent underlying fitness and you just have to condition your legs to the pounding of the road, and you'll be OK. Not sure if I understood you right, but I hope you're planning on a couple of midweek shorter plods as well as the lengthening weekender?

I think Hal Higdon's rule was no more than 15% increase per week on the long run, so you should be OK.

Well done.