We got out sharpish on Thursday. Running exactly the same course as Tuesday I found it a bit tough at times to keep in stride with Milly. There were several options to miss minor 'long cuts' which would have given me the chance to rest momentarily, but I was only ever a few metres behind so I battled on, occasionally shouting a request for Milly to run a corner wide so I could make up a metre by running the inside line. By 13 miles though I'd had enough and I eased down to a jog for the mile back home. I could have carried on if it was for a race victory or chasing a PB, but to put myself through what would have been a torturous final 6minutes of effort would not have served my best interests. On reflection I should probably have ran just 10miles , or even completed the reps as scheduled, alone. It's done now though, good miles in the bank. We actually made 6:17 pace - 8 secs/mile faster than 2 nights ago.
Speaking of miles in the bank, I don't actually record my weekly mileage anywhere. I know its been over 45/wk for the last couple of months but I just totted up that last Saturday to yesterday (Friday) I ran 56. Or counting last Monday to tomorrow (Sunday) it is 63 (as long as I do the planned 20 tomorrow). With this kind of mileage from 5 runs and only one easy day, no wonder I often feel these sessions are such a struggle. I should notice a huge lift when I finally taper off for the marathon.
Today I (kind of) ran the 2 mile intervals that I missed out midweek. I ran my 10mile circuit starting off at an easy pace for 4 minutes then very hard for 11 minutes. Then 4 easy again then 11 hard again and repeat until the circuit was complete. Unfortunately my Garmin failed after about 20minutes so I don't have any data from the run. I took about 64 minutes which is OK for the first time doing this session since last Autumn. Afterwards, back home, I felt utterly wasted from the effort of this run - so much so that I get a bad stomach and feel quite ropey for an hour or so.
Tomorrow I am entered in the Haweswater Half Marathon. To race at full potential would not be a good idea given the hard week just gone and also the 20mile race I'm doing the following weekend. Instead I plan to jog approx 7 miles beforehand then run the race somewhat further back in the field than where I would normally be and at a pace to hopefully give me 6:35-6: per mile for the 20miles.
Milly has gone away for a week in the sun. If I can't get the Garmin working again it will be a whole new ball game running on perceived effort rather than watching pulse. Also, I'll have to run exactly the same 14 mile route as last week and time it to get a pace result.
I haven't mentioned this previously but I am currently on a 'diet'. It's not really a diet though, more a case of cutting out all the bad things I usually eat on a daily basis. Things like chocolate, cakes, biscuits, puddings, sweeties, mini cheddars. It's been two weeks now and the only 'bad' thing to have passed my lips is a single chocolate button. When I feel like a snack I make toast and although I often put jam on, making it less healthy, it's still got to be better than polishing off an entire chocolate orange in one night or a sticky gateaux in about 3 nights. I haven't given up alcohol but I drink very little anyway and I have vowed to buy no more once I have finished off the 24 pack of Guinness I got at Christmas. (currently about 4 left). The idea behind this is to lose the extra few pounds I have noticed creeping on over the last year/18months.
Bodyweight is a widely fluctuating thing. Depending on whether I weigh myself late on a non training day or soon after a long run I can be anywhere between 10st 12lb and 11st 2lb. In the last few months though I noted I was never under 11st and even noted the scales recording 11st 3.5lb on several occasions. After a week of the 'diet' nothing had changed but today (2 weeks), after my run, I was 10st 10lb. I will continue with the abstinence until the end of March, then, to ensure I don't suffer from a lack of liver/muscle glycogen during the marathon I will resume consumption of the 'bad things' in moderation.
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