Training has gone very well again this week. Tuesday was with Plucky for 6x 5mins with 1min jog recoveries. After last week I was rather dreading this session but on the day it was much more manageable than the previous time. Effort one was fast - 5:55 pace, too fast in my opinion for the first effort (and it was mostly uphill). For the second effort I took it much more steady and allowed Plucky to pull ahead by 20 metres or so - another 5:55. By the third effort we/I was comfortably side by side again (5:42). The next two efforts were merely steady cruising (both 5:40), and I felt as if I could have lifted the pace at any point during them. Final effort was tough. Darren (who lives near Plucky and usually joins us) was very strong and pushed the pace right to the end of the 5mins. We got 5:26 pace for this which is the fastest they have achieved in 2 years of doing this particular session. Next week will be 7x 5mins.
Needless to say I am very happy with these times. I am slightly concerned that I should be doing some faster running, perhaps 800m or even 400m efforts to prepare myself for the high leg turnover that will be a feature of the downhill sections of the Derwent 10 course. However, getting out of the door is the most important thing, and if I didn't arrange to go with Plucky I might cry off altogether.
Wednesday I ran 7 miles in exactly 49 minutes. Last week with Milly it was a tad too slow and my legs felt bad for it. 7 pace is about the slowest I think I should run at. Pulse was under 150 for this, and that's about as low as I have seen recorded for a proper road run (would be lower on a long fell outing). Another good sign of decent fitness.
Yesterday, again with Plucky and Darren it was the same 10mile route as last Thursday. Plucky had said he wanted to do it in 65mins again (as last week). I spent the day thinking that was a bit too steady really, so I suggested we ran at 6:20-6:25 pace instead. From the offset we were ahead of even this faster schedule. It felt harder than last week but nothing like the week before that (when I front ran all night and got 6:10 average). At the end we had made 6:12 pace. My pulse averaged 161 which is a long way below race effort. I think I should run 11 miles next Thursday but aim for about 6:15 pace.
No Milly at all this week. I tried to get him to come for a jog tonight but he said no so I didn't bother either. I spent an hour in the garden before it became dark. The last of the tomatoes are now picked, same with the apples which I got Joyce to wrap in newspaper before I put them away in a box in the shed. (last year, after putting them in a carrier bag, I ended up with a sticky gooey mess after I forgot about them.) I have also finally finished building my garden gazebo. Only two and a half years (and one roof rip off and rebuild) after starting. Although I say it myself it looks superb. I may take a couple of pics and put on here.
Gelt tomorrow. Something tough on Sunday. I have also been wondering about entering the Lancaster Half Marathon in November. I had no intention of doing any races other than the two ten milers I have mentioned, but if there is even the slightest possibility that I could break 75 then I should go for it as that time would allow me to enter next years London Marathon. (because I missed the closing date for Good for Age I can only do it if I get a club number from Border Harriers). Tough prospect though, 75mins is 5:43 miling.
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