Alan Partridge

Monday - rest up after a decent weekends training. Really enjoyed walking extra time with the dogs knowing there was no run to get home and do.

Tuesday - marathon pace run - 14 miles. On my own, Milly working late.
Got started at 17:10 which meant no problems with darkness running the 'summer' 13mile route, which goes out into the countryside via the airport and home via the A69. Although it's nice to see the lighter evenings allowing this route, it is quite a lot hillier than where we normally run. With this in mind I maybe shouldn't be disappointed to have averaged 6:25 per mile, but of course I am slightly. At least my average heartrate was a couple below the norm for 6:20 pace, so it was probably quite a good run actually.

Wednesday - Milly still absent but I had decided anyhow to go jogging with the dogs after work (rather than walk them then go running). We were out for approx 90 mins. Running for approx 60mins, with the remainder doing stick throwing, swimming (dogs not me) and some obedience work (that's a laugh with my two though to be fair Scamp does, under instruction, run 10metres or so away and jump over a fence/chair/gate etc, then sit still until called back)

The marathon looms large now, it's 7 weeks on Sunday. I haven't gotten round to booking any travel or hotel yet - very bad organisation. I have been looking at pace predictor charts and based on the 61 minutes it took me to run the race last Sunday, I would be looking at 2hr 50 mins. However, that race was very hilly and I would also say that I am much better at Marathons than 10 mile events so I think sub 2:50 should be the least I am capable of, 2:46 to 2:48 quite achievable, and 2:45 or a few seconds inside 2:45 might even be on the cards if all goes well and it's a good weather day on the 25th. Nearly 3 years ago I ran my second fastest Marathon, 2:44:10, in Dublin. If I could possibly top this time I would be over the moon.

Bit of a change of routine to come over the next few days. Tomorrow should be reps but I would be doing them alone as Milly still has his marathon pace effort to do so I think I might try to keep up with him. It might be too much to try, given I did the same just last night. My good friend Mike Scott would tell me to run at a different pace (ie do reps) to that which I ran Sunday and Tuesday and I know he's correct but with such an easy day today I think I will be OK. I will then do nowt on Friday as usual, then reps on Saturday morning, followed by a decent 20 miler on Sunday.