Week Commencing 7th October

Monday Morning: 5 miles at 10:00mm - Easy in with Bob - left ankle a bit tight. Glorious light this morning from the start.

Tuesday Morning: 5 miles at 10:00mm - Super easy in.
Tuesday Evening: 8 miles at 8:15mm - Fartleky Tempo session between bridges on the way to Danny's birthday. Fun to try and do it with a rucksack. 6:30mm ish for tempo sections.

Wednesday Evening: 5 miles at 9:15mm - Easy run on treadmill

Thursday Morning: 5 miles at 10:00mm - Recovery in with Rob

Friday Evening: 8 miles at 8:30mm - Easy hour with Gaby on the Mitcham loop

Saturday Lunch: 5 miles at 6:00mm - warm up, Surrey League XC, warm down

Sunday Morning: 21 miles at 7:30mm - First chunky 20 miler in a while.

Totals: 9 hours and 7 minutes, 66 miles

Summary:

I was easing off the second half of the week planning to have a good run at the Surrey League - sadly that didn't develop as I had a bit of a shocker. The first 6 or 7 minutes I was feeling pretty good, from the start I felt I had myself in a good position and was running fluidly. Breathing was totally fine. I felt a bit jostled around but on the whole was okay.

Just gradually my legs were going on me. Aerobically I felt absolutely fine, not jogging around but certainly not in any sort of distress, just going through the motions in third gear as people went past me. The choice of spikes probably didn't help as on the wooded sections I could really feel the 9mm spikes going against the stony ground - my X-talons would have been a better shout.

Looking back, post-break I've put a really good sequence of training weeks together. I think right now I'm just a bit fatigued from that and that a few easy days probably wasn't going to be enough to get my legs back into nick. Probably should have done some strides on the Thursday as well.

Really pleased with my Sunday long run, first half all at low 7mm with a decent group. Second half a bit easier but then picked up the effort through the Oaks on the muddier stuff and uphill before closing well feeling really strong.

I think that's the bit which has me the most optimistic. 2 years ago before going to see Eddie and John, I would have done a XC like Saturday and have been limping for a week. Now I'm walking pain-free in the morning, out the next day and doing a quality 20 miler. That leaves me very enthusiastic for the future.