A Pilgrim's Choice - Pilgrimage Day 6

As I approach the end of my trip I'm starting to look a bit more closely at how exactly I'm going to make the airport to get home. This isn't quite as easy as it seems as there doesn't seem to be much in the way of accommodation near the airport.

As the Albergue in Aviles is meant to be excellent I wanted to stay there but as it is only 24km from Gijon I was going to end up short! I decided to leave the Camino Norte and follow the Camino Primitivo to Oviedo (a pilgrimage site in its own right) before tracking back up to Aviles. This meant that I'd have one day of 30km and another day of 44+km with a convenient rest point after 30km in Polo de Tiero on day 1 rather than carrying on the full 44km to Oviedo the most likely option although both had Albergues. Although my hotel was fantastic I wanted to get back among my fellow pilgrims.

A late start enjoying the hotel and trying to tease out the soreness behind my left knee led to me leaving around midday, my latest start yet. Amazingly for the first time all week the sun was out and it was a gorgeous day.

I was moving surprisingly well and went past Jean and Frank at about 16km. When I stopped at 21km to apply sunscreen and attach the "Saharan" flap to my sun hat I knew mentally I would be going the full 44km today. The Camelbak also made an appearance today although I'd still go for the coke bottles...

I passed through Solo del tiero in a flash stopping only to get my credencial stamped at the cheery and friendly looking Albergue. I should have stopped there...

The final 10 miles were whilst not brutal certainly not the straight road I was expecting.  Not helped by the final km being straight uphill. I went to the Albergue only to find it was closed. A helpful car driver (clearly used to pilgrims coming down this dead end) explained the location and I set off again to another location about a km away and straight up hill.

As I approached it I was wary. In contrast to the welcoming approach of most Albergues this one had a locked door and was a long walk up to the building which looked a bit like the community building at the end of last season of The Walking Dead or the compound in 28 days later or the prison in Resident Evil... okay I need to watch less zombie movies.

After being thoroughly investigated by the prison warden on guard (I'm being unfair, he was probably a volunteer) I paid the princely sum of 5€ and got led to my room... It stank. Mould was clearly growing on the walls. I hoped I could open the windows to let the stench out of my cell but they were bolted shut. The showers were clearly newly installed so I showered, packed my bags and left.  5€ seems fine for a shower and you would have had to pay me several times the amount I paid to get a hotel room in the booked out town to stay there. Spartan yes - I have in the last month been quite happy sleeping on a town hall floor with no sleeping bag and only a bag for a pillow. Filthy and mouldy no. Especially after running 28 miles.

The Cathedral in the town is beautiful and after finding a room I enjoyed another menu del dia. The menu del dia in Spain is fantastic where available. For 10-12€ you get bread, wine (often a bottle), a huge first course ( I always go for Fabada Asturiana - a hearty stew with white beans, bacon and black pudding sausage) which is a main meal in itself followed by a second course (usually pork or beef with chips for me ) and then desert or coffee. It's a heck of a deal.

So this blog is about choices - to take the Primitivo, to run past the nice Albergue,  to leave the bad one and also about my running.

As I've been going through the past few days I've been thinking about the events I should target. I think I owe it to myself to give an ultra event a real go at some point. I think my body may be more suited to multi day events. It's gone through this week with barely a squeak. "Injuries" have barely lasted a day. Maybe it's all the blood flow but I seem to be healing and c recovering faster than ever. My feet look immaculate and whilst I haven't been pushing the pace I can tell there's a lot more there if I need it.

Similarly I've been wondering about my training. It'll be interesting to see the effects of this week but I feel incredibly strong and powerful right now.  Maybe the odd ultra high mileage week will work. I'm also investigating ultra lightweight sleeping bags and camping kits... The idea of being totally self sufficient bar maybe food is enticing.

For another day perhaps.

A Pilgrim's Progress - Pilgrimage Day 5

So today I'm going to discuss kit. A number of people I've met on the trail have remarked on how small my kit bag is and this has only been possible as a result of taking a very limited number of items. 

Kit List

Definitely would take again

- Decathlon hiking top. Cheapie at £5. Doesn't wrinkle and warm as anything.

-Decathlon basic joking trousers. Super lightweight and cut off at knee to turn into shorts. 

- 3 x Decathlon dry bags. Keep all my stuff dry on the worst of days. 

-Decathlon Quechua 17l bag. Huge capacity for 17l. Has not rubbed badly once. Easily adjustable.  Waterproof cover. Side pockets for quick access. Water bladder and holder.

- Decathlon Kalenji short tights and shorts. No chafing. No rubbing. 

-Samsung S5 - waterproof and brilliant for photos. The combination of Google maps and a GPS track of the route has meant I've never been lost for more than a minute or so bar the approach to San Vicente.

-Garmin Fenix 3. Crazy battery and quick Strava uploads. 

-Pearl Izumi running t-shirt. Super lightweight and drys quickly. 

-Aussie Mist shampoo. Because my hair is important! 

-Passport (Duh!)

- Pilgrim's passport as a record of my journey. 

-Decathlon quick dry large towel. Drys so quickly and takes up incredibly little space.

- Decathlon hat. I'd never used a hat whilst running before this week. This both helps keep the sweat out of my eyes and also the rain. The Saharan attachment covering the neck would be useful in hotter conditions. 

-Skechers Go Ultra trainers - this will be a 150+ mile week over challenging terrain. I've no blisters, no dodgy toenails and have yet to fall. I can offer no higher praise. 

- Toothbrush and paste. 

Probably take again

-Decathlon Quechua hiking t-shirt. Does a fab job for the money and quite lightweight but double layer suffers in comparison to the Pearl Izumi top (which is probably 6 times the price).

- Cicerone guidebook covering the northern Caminos. 

- iPod shuffle. this has not been used much over the week. I have however been glad to have it available if I wanted to use it.

- Decathlon technical underwear and socks. Done a good job but they have not been particularly quick drying which is the reason I got them. Despite that no chafing or blisters so they have done a good job.

-Camino buff. This would have been useful in cold conditions but the decent temperatures in the Asturias has meant that it has been of limited use and the cap has been more useful.

- Aussie Mist conditioner. It's fantastic but it was a last minute 3 for 2 purchase at the airport and probably a bit extravagant.

-Camelbak bladder. this would be useful but in reality I've used empty coke bottles more effectively and the chance to take the weight off my shoulders for a few minutes has been helpful.

- Decathlon waterproof jacket. Substantial so both keeps me warm and the wet off. I'm glad I brought it rather than going for the down jacket and poncho combination I was considering.  Not great to run in so would look at a lightweight running version (for three times the price).

- Trigger point "Grid" mini foam roller. Tiny and a great option for massage but probably just as easy working with hands.

Guide book - I haven't used it for the maps or directions but the details of lodgings have been useful. Would probably just make notes on my phone next time.

-Glasses pouch I was intending to use for my underwear/socks but it got soaked in sweat on day 1. I ended up using it as a change purse to stop it jangling and it did the job 

Things I would not bring again 

-Sun cream. This was totally useless as I have not seen the Sun in 5 days. Could easily have bought it if necessary

- Trigger point massage ball. this is a great product but I brought it for one specific injury in my glute which has not flared up all week rendering it useless.

Things I wish I'd brought / have bought

-Clothes pegs. No weight and you're no longer fighting the other pilgrims for them.

- V. lightweight sleeping bag (sheet sleeping bag). Tbh most days there have been blankets or sheets but if you're going for the full on 5 Euro Albergues then you may not want to use their sheets. I've been fine in clothes if necessary or you could always be a frood and use your towel. 

- Waterproof trousers. It rains a lot and it sucks if you're struggling to get out in the evening as you don't want to get your only pair of trousers soaked.

-  Pair of soft water bottles - coke bottles have been fine but next time I won't carry the bladder and will bring soft bottles for no sloshing and easy to fill in sinks.  (Where I can't get the coke bottle under I've had to fill into the bladder and then into the coke bottle!)

- Additional pair of underwear/socks.

- Expansion plug for European sockets. There are limited numbers of sockets compared to beds in each albergue. If you bring your own expansion socket you're guaranteed a charge. 

- Extra long USB charging cable. So you can keep your phone with you even on a top bunk. I've not been too worried about crime but phones are expensive. 

Think that's about it! 

Cheers,

Bryn 

A Pilgrim's Way - Pilgrimage Day 4

So I'm past the midway point in my journey.

Day 4 was a good one. As expected it was raining when I woke up. Now normally I have little to no time for cyclists but they occasionally put together a few good thoughts. Particularly number 9 on this list. Of course almost all the cyclists I know are seriously scared of their bikes melting in the rain. 

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

So with a wry smile on my face I set off.

Most days there's not a whole lot of differences between running and walking the camino. I get to start a little later and finish a bit sooner. Usually I cover a bit more distance as well but not a lot more.

Today the difference was a bit more obvious! With the rain pouring the walkers were triple layered and moving slowly under ponchos. I bagged all my kit in dry bags, layered my waterproof over the dry bags, put the waterproof cover over my bag and set out into the rain in t-shirt and shorts.

I got drenched. But when you are only wearing a tshirt and shorts they dry quickly when running and don't actually weigh you down. I arrived into the next town barely 3 hours after I started already mostly dried out having taken only one brief comfort break.

Ribadasella is a charming and quite tourist focused town. A sharp contrast from the rural villages I'd been going through. At the youth hostel I met Frank - my first Brit of the week (Kelly the Irish girl I'd met the night before was the closest until then! ).

It was nice to go for a beer with someone that spoke the same language (as far as a Geordie and Londoner speak the same language ) and Frank was great company as we debated politics (him left, me right) and talked about his three children.

We headed back and picked up Jean (a Parisien with impeccable English, 8 children and many grand children). As we shared a bottle of vino tinto before the bat began serving food we spoke about our motivations for doing the Camino (both are veterans).

As can be seen from the table cloth below this quickly led to scrawled drawings including those of the cathedral at the end of the Camino. Over the entrance of the cathedral are the symbols Alpha and Omega, and below,  reversed - Omega, Alpha.

This is to demonstrate that in the end of all things (including your Camino) there is also a beginning. I think I'll take that with me.

It particularly resonates with me as I started running at the Omega club. With the route marked out with fishes... or Alphas.

Funny how life works out some times. I've been chasing the Camino my whole life it seems. Following those little fishes.

Jean spoke about how he saw three things in people on his Camino - faith, hope and charity. It made me think back to the people I've already met - the kindly bar lady who kept her restaurant open in hope of a customer, the volunteers running the Albergue in San Vicente, the young girl delighting in playing with my foam roller.

As Jean and Frank made the point to me. It's the start of a lifelong journey along the Camino. Maybe not this year or next, but next decade or the one after that. One day I'll be one of the walkers along the camino, grizzled grey beard, telling a young French man in my now flawless French about faith, hour and charity. Beginnings in the end.

It's been a good trip.

Psychology of a Pilgrim - pilgrimage day 3

When we start a job or a task it can be overwhelming. Especially when it will take 3, 4, 5 or more hours of concerted effort.

The last few days I've been starting the day almost despondent. 20+ miles? That's a very long way. Especially as the plan was basically to run without any scheduled breaks to about 13 miles, have as bite to eat and then finish the day.  It led to lots (and lots) of unscheduled breaks where I didn't walk as I'd decided I was going to run.

So today I changed two things.

Firstly - I switched my Garmin to km. Miles are fine when you're running 7mm. When you're running 10+ mm then it's a LONG time between beeps. It's also much easier for me to visualise 400m to the next beep than 0.35 of a mile. As I'm in Spain all the distances and the guidebook are in km.

Secondly - I switched to running 5km and walking 1km. With a "break" just 25-30 minutes running away (instead of 2 hours) I was much more focused with very few informal breaks (just photos and directions which I now sped up to just a few seconds).

These two simple tweaks helped me out away the hardest and longest day yet. I was always happy to start running because it was only 5k and I knew I could run 5k.

Especially as now I could play the mental games I've perfected from years on the track "First km is just warming up, second km you have to work, third km you're already halfway, fourth km is basically the end as the last one doesn't count, fifth km you're pretty much already finished."

Instead of looking at an intimidating battle it was easy and then by the end of the "block" I'd actually covered a free bonus km as well!

6km whilst seeming very manageable is actually quite a decent way and when looking at the day in blocks it suddenly seemed much easier. 1 block was frankly easy. 3 blocks was nothing to get to lunch and on a normal day I'd be finishing not much after 5.

Blocking. It's a thing.

The break also helped psychologically as I was still covering distance (and by getting a full 3.1 miles in without breaks I was way ahead of where I would have been previously) but the 10 minutes walking gave me time to play with my phone, get water in me and massage quickly any site areas on the move.

Today was still a tough day at points though. I was worried about a groin pull first thing but it only affected downhills and when I took them a touch easier (I'd been flinging myself down then previously) I was pain free. 

The hills were substantial. Not quite as continuous but they were big. Today was meant to be a long day but it ended extra long. I was following an alternative route which is a touch longer and over coastal trails. It was great but hard work.  Unfortunately I was meant to come off it and jog down into town at the end. Instead I kept on it and ended up with an extra 4-5km of the toughest hills I'd had yet. As you reached the bottom of a switch back it then climbed again!

Even with my blocking I wasn't happy to have already run my distance for the day and still looking down on the town from the cliff with no drop down in sight.

So. A good day (I saw a little sun! ) but a tough one. Tomorrow should be much shorter and easier as a sort of rest day. Though with the new run/walk strategy both significantly raising my average pace and mentally making it easier I should fly through it!

Cheers,
Bryn

A Pilgrim's Tale - Day 2

I woke at 8 with my roommates alarm and peeled back the curtain. It was still pitch dark and I felt like I had barely slept. With the benefit of having until 10 to leave (maybe for the last day! ) I rolled over back to sleep.

Rising later I checked the kit I'd washed the previous day. Outside it was just getting wetter so I'd vainly tried to spread it on the bed above. Still damp.

The second day is less glamorous. A piece of sponge cake (which in its simplicity reminds me of the lembas bread in the Lord of the Rings designed for long trips) from the mercardo and I set off.

It's harder work today. The first 5 miles are  tough despite taking them easily. The route is all road but unrelenting hills. None that serious. Just continuous. My ipod shuffle, usually a trusted companion on these voyages, is annoying me so I stuff it into a side pocket. It's the last time it'll be used today.

After 6 or 7 miles I spot a small pony. Tucked in an outcropping between the road barrier and the bushes. It neighs loudly at me. A surprisingly loud exhortation from such a diminutive creature. I have no idea why it is there and no time to figure out. I run on.

I'm getting too deep into my head now. Scenarios running through my mind. I need to divert my attention. I've been plodding until now. Not sure why. I usually plod. Now I run.

I've been passing pilgrims all day. A polite "hola!" and then moving on. Now I'm moving at pace. I pass a gent waiting for his wife to catch up.

"Camino?" He asks incredulously. "Si" I respond. The look of surprise on my face raised a smile for the next mile or two.

I pass the couple from my bunk house who had set off at 8 this morning. A brief hola and I'm on my way.  A German pair she is lovely but has limited English. He is terse with much better English. This trip is showing me how poor my language skills are.

I arrive in Colombres. Pleased. This means I've covered most of my miles for the day. I order chorizo frito - expecting chorizo and chips. I get fried chorizo. Mea culpa. It's still delicious. I use the free bread to break up the strong taste of the meat. An ersatz sandwich. The coke tastes like ambrosia as I struggle not to glug it down.

A pretty girl sits down at the table next to me. She's Spanish and another pilgrim. She's done for the day. I think internally ("It's barely 1pm"). I finish my bread and shake off my jacket, stuffing it back into my pack. Time to go.

It's only 10k to go now. Practically nothing. I blitz the first mile until a stabbing pain in my toe. I now what this is. Shaking my shoe I dislodge the bit of straw. I ran through the straw about 30 miles ago yet it persists. I definitely need gaiters.

My dismissive approach to the remaining miles is rapidly tested. Hard climbs through the villages. This area of Spain is so remote. At times I'm almost running through houses. Afraid of intruding but following the golden arrows that drive me without hesitation.

Just under 3 miles to go. I'm tired now. My legs aren't driving as fast as they were. Hills I was springing up are now a test. I've not walked yet and I don't intend to. From the top of one of the climbs I can see down into the bay and the ancient bridge. The trail leads away though. North for a while until it swings south. It's demoralising.

Finally on the bridge I resist the urge to sprint across. I'm here. Where is the Albergue though? It's usually clearly sign posted. On tired legs I jog through the quiet closed city (it is siesta time) until I find it tucked away.

It's different this time. Yesterday was some bungalows which were part of a complex. This is a true Albergue. They show me to the dorm. No blankets. Damn. The girl showing me around says no problem and goes to find out a blanket. The man running the centre warns me to bring my own. Inside I'm thinking I shouldn't have said a word and just slept in my clothes. If I can sleep on a plane I can sleep on a mattress with a pillow. There's no sun during the day but it's still warm at night.

I read for a while. The convenience of having a power socket by my head allows me to charge my phone. A sleeping bag I do not need ; a power socket is far higher in my list of priorities.

I wonder why I'm staying in the hostels. I can easily afford a hotel but this seems more realistic. The lady in the next bunk shows me her insect bites from a less hygienic Albergue and I wonder if I should reconsider.

Hanging my still not dried clothes from yesterday I head into town. A bottle of coke, a packet of sweets, some more lembas for the next morning and some clothes pegs. I'm tired of fighting for them and they'll be light to carry.

I peruse the other shops. Swigging my coke and scoffing my sweets. I end up on the harbour. It's not beautiful but it's quiet and rustic and I'm alone with my thoughts. I'll head to a bar soon. Drink a few beers and eat the menu del dia.

Up early tomorrow. There's a lot of miles still to cover.

Bryn Pilgrim vs the World - Day 1

So after a fairly turbulent last 8 months I decided that I definitely needed a holiday. Once that was decided what option was there really apart from running a substantial part of the northern Spanish coast line.

The Camino de Santiago is a series of trails which stretch across Europe. They are generally well signposted and hostels you can stay in cheaply "Albergues" frequent the trail.

As I was planning this all last minute I needed to get my kit in a hurry. One surprisingly cheap trip to decathlon later I had all the kit I needed including a 17 litre bag and technical underwear and socks (for quick drying! ).

Unfortunately the days leading up to it were far from ideal preparation as I got various work projects completed meaning I ended up getting 3 hours sleep before my flight this morning and not having much more of a plan than "I'm going to follow the trail".

I landed in Santander this morning. I was pleased with how light I'd got my bag but it was still a lot heavier than I'd ever usually run with. I carried the bottle of Dr Pepper I had on the flight filled with water and ambushed a poor tourist to take a photo.

Unfortunately the trail does not go near the airport leaving me traipsing through a slightly depressing suburban area in order to get out of Santander. Once this was done though it quickly got better with some pretty streams. 

Once I found the first scallop shell I was very pleased as this was clear evidence I was on the trail. 

When I arrived in the village of Boo I was presented with a choice. Historically ferrymen would take you across the river but with the building of the railway bridge that was scrapped. You can therefore either run 5 miles out of your way south to the nearest bridge OR you can try dashing across the railway bridge on the tracks! 

This isn't quite as dangerous as it sounds (apparently almost everyone does it) but definitely gave me a rush of adrenaline. 

I took a brief break afterwards as I'd covered over 10 miles. A pub garden where the owners were clearly siestaing (siestering?) letting me use the facilities and relax for 10 minutes. 

I should mention at this point the weather.It's warm but far from sunny. The region is more like Wales than what you might imagine Spain is like. Humidity is high though and I found myself very grateful for my Camino de Santiago buff acting as a head band. 

I headed off and followed the traditional route rather than the new route. I imagine there must be a lot of pressure from businesses to route the camino near them and from residents to keep it away.

As this route headed past small hamlets I stopped and chucked my water bottle into my bag. This was a revelation. I'd been finding it very hard work until now but losing the water bottle for whatever reason helped me regain my balance and strengthened my legs. I was now running low or sub 9mm for the same effort as 10+ was taking before. 

The route for today was almost exclusively asphalt with the exception of scrambling over the hay at the side of the railway tracks and the track themselves. The route was almost never flat. It was fairly mild but consistently up and down. 

After passing a big industrial plant at 16 I thought I was on the home stretch. Not quite. The last 5 miles were much hillier than the rest of the route.

Finally I came into Santillana del Mar. A historic little town that seemed a touch too ancient for me. A final effort up the hill took me to the Camping Albergue.

The Albergue system is very impressive. All along the route both towns (municipal), private  and charitable hostels are run offering a room for the night. It's very basic but for 5-10 Euros a night you can't complain.  

One difficulty is with meals... The Spanish have fairly set schedules for catering. Unless you happen to be in the right town at the right time you may struggle to get a meal. I'm currently waiting (and have been since 5) to get food as the kitchen doesn't reopen into then (they still do beer though!). My clothes have been washed and are currently sort of drying outside the Albergue. 

I am shattered and have a big day ahead so that's enough from me. Looking forward to a lot of sleep and then some early miles. 

Cheers, 

Bryn 

Running, Science and Mileage

Sport (or at least sports journalism) has become dominated by science. Every issue of Runners World that you pick up is primarily filled with tid-bits explaining how the latest study has proven this and demonstrated that. By the end of the magazine you're swigging down beetroot juice, disappearing off to the garden for tabata intervals every other hour and enjoying a big bowl of quinoa (or this month's wonder grain).

There's also an odd obsession with food with half of most running magazines dedicated to recipes for your next meal. I'm not sure when running and food became inextricably linked in the mind of the running editor but I guess it's an easy page filler. But I digress...

My issue with the overwhelming abundance of scientific literature from exercise physiologists is that it seems unescapably short-term. When you need to control all of the conditions surrounding the study and introduce a small change to properly analyse the results you will rarely get a holistic view of what leads to overall improvement. Not least of which improvement in race times is rarely used as a marker in the studies (as it can be affected by so many other factors) - leading to the use of physiological paramaters.

(Yes - I'm aware this does not exactly support my point - but anytime I can bring Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry speaking lines written by Sorkin into a blog I will do so...)

An increase in your VO2 max is fantastic but does it actually mean you will race faster? On the balance of probabilities - yes, it should do. Will it improve them by more than a corresponding improvement in the lactate threshold? That's a bit more uncertain. How about running economy? Running economy to me remains a bit of a catch-all - an improvement means that you can run at the same pace for a reduced requirement but I have seen articles stating its improved by doing strides, by running at race pace, by running more total miles...

Will science get to the point where it has a perfect model written out for endurance training? Maybe one day. Unfortunately the headlines are driven by recent studies, quick studies, looking at small changes. If more of the media talked about studies and reviews like this one which attempts to look as holistically as possible over a number of years then my view might be a bit different. 

New runners to the sport (and coaches - especially where their experience is primarily from EA coaching courses) can get obsessed with the science of how to optimise the work-outs to the nth degree. They want to do it perfectly, to maximise the gains, and in the process miss the wood for the trees. Convinced that they are training as hard as possible, doing the perfect work-outs, eating specially selected meals whilst missing the very fundamentals of improvement in the sport set out over 50 years ago when Arthur Lydiard had an 800m runner running 100 miles a week. 

How did that experiment end? Well....

This isn't a new concept (the obsession with the little things) - as this passage from one of my favourite books - Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr illustrates:-

"What did he eat? Did he believe in isometrics? Isotonics? Ice and heat? How about aerobics, est, ESP, STP? What did he have to sayabout yoga, yogurt, Yogi Berra? What was his pulse rate, his blood pressure, his time for the 100-yard dash? What was the secret, they all wanted to know in a thousand different ways the secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as it did with that most unprofound process and sometimes heart-rending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough soles of his running shoes."

Which incidentally gives me a chance to include this trailer...

So over the next few weeks I'm going to try and get a few runners to tell their tale of how increasing their mileage transformed them as a runner. Some may be quick, some won't be - but they'll all be far quicker than when they started. For me? It knocks minutes off my 5k time. 

A fair number of you reading this blog will already know "the secret" and I guess the secret is that it's not a secret. Not at all. Just going back to the most basic of activities - running. Just going out there and putting them in on a daily basis. The trial of miles; miles of trials.

Training June 2015

So... how was June?

The numbers:-

• 299 miles over 30 days (10 miles / day near as dammit...)
• 96 miles in the biggest week
• 30 miles in the smallest week
• 19 miles in the longest run
• 5 total rest days
• 4 or 5 races depending on how you count it
• 3 short interval work-outs
• 2 tempo sessions
• 2 long runs
• 1 race win
• 0.4 miles in the shortest run

The month began with me recovering from having just run a 33 mile trail run with the fabulous Jasmine Sandali in prep for her running the NDW 100 and following it up with an 18 mile run at a decent pace (sub 8mm) the next day. My legs were very tired but as part of my new "do everything fun and don't worry about it!" attitude I found myself lining up for a 2 mile race... I blasted out at approx. 5 minutes per mile for the first mile before slowing drastically to clock a respectable 10:17 just watching the rear of club-mate Max Lovell disappear over the second half. Sub 16 5k pace for a 2 mile effort after a tough week? Result. 

The rest of the week was a fairly easy one at approx. 70 miles with a respectable tempo effort on the Thursday doing 20 minutes at 5:33mm before my hometown Henham 10k. Now this one was a big deal - I'd lost two years ago the last time it was run forfeiting my title and I wanted it back! Luckily there wasn't any really fierce competition and I was clear within the first km and could enjoy my run chatting with the marshals - although I did dig a bit deeper when I checked at 5k and could still see someone behind. It was nice to win in front my parents!

The race did make it clear I needed to add a bit of speed so I took advantage of my lunchbreak on Tuesday to clock a session of 5 x 3 minutes hard off a minute - I really like fitting sessions in at lunch if I can. You just get on with it rather than fretting and in Southwark Park it's really simple to get the session done on fast and flat traffic free paths. I followed this up with a really strong tempo of 2 x 20 minutes averaging 5:37mm with the last 20 minutes at 5:29mm. This is worryingly close to my current 5k pace but it felt under control so I just enjoyed it and finished off the week with a good 19 miler along the Towpath with Mike and Gideon making it feel like easy work.

Week 3 was my "rest week" having averaged 75+ miles for a month and I ran a paltry 30 with two rest days. This did however include 2 legs at the Bridges relays on slightly tired legs after doing a "half" session of 5 x km off 45s the night before at 10k pace with a 63 second last lap for the final rep. I ran a solid 12:12 on the first leg after hanging on for dear life against Harold Wyber who narrowly edged me in 12:11 - I then promptly had 25 minutes to recover before I was off again running for my company team (who had been led off by Harold) where I clocked a 12:51 after spending the whole first mile feeling sorry for myself (particularly after a temporarily unretired Kev Skinner sped past me on the way to clocking a 12:01 leg).

Both times were respectable but I very pleased to keep the second leg so close). Finishing second club team to the international Run-Fast team was a great performance by Chasers (mostly driven by Andy clocking 3rd fastest leg of the day) and EY finished a respectable 4th LBH team with me running my second leg and missing secret weapon Max Wolke who ran for his club team. There was a great Chaser turn-out and I never cease to be amazed by the numbers we get out for these sort of events.

This easy week was a week of three races though. I enjoyed my rest week a BIT too much and was definitely not in the shape to run well at the Richmond 10k. To be honest I was thoroughly miserable, didn't want to be there and definitely didn't want to be racing (clearly the lower endorphin levels were affecting me...). After stumbling my way through a paltry warm-up I decided I had to give it a go despite every inch of me wanting to DNS.

I got out well and after going through the first km in 3:20 decided and my lungs feeling really strong I decided I could basically just hang tight and get a reasonable clocking. I thought I might be in mid-33 shape and going through 5k in 16:47 I knew I had a shot. Unfortunately I ended up having to take the pace on for most of the second half and really wasn't in the mental state to really push on hard and hurt myself. Fellow former Teddy Hall relays organiser Phil Killingley is rapidly returning back to form and proceeded to run away from me over the final km and I crossed the line for a reasonable 33:53 with Max's rear once again about 10 seconds ahead of me! 

One of the odd things about being a runner (and about being one that can finish in the top 20 in most road races) - is that you can clock a time which is better than you've done for a while (or even a PB) and be really disappointed with it. It's an odd one because everyone around you congratulates you but you can still be unhappy or even angry with yourself. My friend Matt told me last week on our long run that when he clocked his first sub 1:52 (maybe it was sub 1:51... I wasn't listening that much - he was pushing the pace on a hill...) that he threw his spikes down in anger at his PB as he knew he could do better. I think lots of runners can sympathise. I was content at the result - but no more. I was pleased my fitness let me clock a time I was... let's say "okay" with - but I knew I'd left way too much in the tank and hadn't gone to the pain cave.

Week 4 was back to the mileage... 96 miles and that mean a limited number of sessions. Just good, simple steady running. On the Saturday I went over to Burgess Parkrun and helped pace new Chaser Katie around to a new sub 20 5k PB (I really like pacing people to PBs and through training sessions... it feels like one of the few things that the "skill" or ability of being able to run relatively fast actually helps you contribute back). She stormed around in 19:40 so job absolutely done and it was nice to see a new part of London.

 I followed this up with an afternoon session of 10 x 3 minutes off a minute on the grass. I really enjoy doing my hard sessions on the grass and this is an absolutely bread and butter one. Simple hard work and by doing it on the grass the impact is hugely reduced and I have far fewer Achilles problems and ankle stiffness. It's also nice to not know exactly how fast I'm going - I can just zero-in on the right effort.

With a final long run around Richmond Park at an easy pace with Matt and Lee the month was basically over (at least after I stopped and grabbed a can of Monster energy drink on the way back as I needed a pick-me-up). 

So - lots of races in the month and some decent results. At the end of the month I'm left really pleased with my training (especially the mileage) and feel I've put the work in and it just hasn't necessarily had the chance to really show itself yet in the race results. My head hasn't been in the game properly when racing which is an issue. I've reduced my alcohol intake significantly over the second half of the month and that seems to be helping with focus - let's see how July finishes up!

If you're interested in seeing the training each day - follow me at http://www.strava.com/athletes/brynrunning

TL;DR...

• If you're fit enough you can sometimes race well even if you're not in the mood to.
• Just don't expect yourself to be happy about it.
• Keep sessions simple and don't worry about exact paces. 
• Helping others feels good. 
• Winning trophies feels better.
• Avoid Matt if you see him holding his spikes after a PB. 

Training Week Commencing 9th March

Monday - Wednesday: Absolutely sod all - busy at work and finishing stuff off before I went on holiday on Thursday. Very poor but my body probably did need a short break. 50 minute game of squash on Wednesday which definitely worked my body pretty hard and at least got some exercise in.

Thursday: Flew to Portugal - 30 minute very easy run.

Friday: AM 58 minutes steady (5 x 30 crunches and 5 x 8 push-ups), PM 60 including 8 x 2:30 hill off jog down recovery

Saturday: AM 96 steady w. drills, ( 5 x 8 press ups and 5 x 30 crunches) PM 60 easy/steady w. 2 hard hill sprints at the end.

Sunday: 126 steady - ran over to acoteias and did a lap- struggling over last couple of miles.

Total: 430 minutes / 55 miles 

Summary: Start of the week was obviously poor but once in Portugal I knuckled down and did some great training on my mini-training camp. I mostly stuck to the roads but there were 

some great hills along all the routes. 

Hoping this is the kick start I need to get my training fully back in gear.