Weekly summary – 24/02/13

Mon – AM 30 mins steady (6:40m/m) PM 45 min hilly recovery run (8:40)
Tue – 1hr inc 5 x 5 mins threshold (5:48 efforts)
Wed – 45 mins recovery run (8:05m/m)
Thu – 90 mins inc 10 x 3 mins threshold / 3 mins steady as middle 60 (5:50m/m efforts)
Fri – REST
Sat – 1hr inc 3 x 10 mins continuous hills off 2 mins (6:00m/m efforts)
Sun – 2h20m long run with last 30 at MP (7:07m/m avg, 6:19m/m MP)

Total – 67  miles, 8hr, 7:07m/m avg

Quite a busy week!

Monday was a double but nothing strenuous, a 30 min steady run down to the Port de Soller in the morning, then a nice and gentle recovery run up into the hills behind Soller in the afternoon.

Tuesday we flew back to the UK, but the flight wasn’t until 4pm so I had time to sneak in a threshold run before we left 🙂 I was feeling a bit tired though, probably the hilly long run on Sunday catching up with me. Still, I stuck it out and completed the 5 x 5 mins, but at a slightly slower average pace of 5:48m/m.

Wednesday was a bit of a shock, back to running in the cold. It has been very cold for a while now, this time last year it was much warmer – my logbook says 15c. More of that please!

Thursday was an interesting session, quite different to anything I’ve done before. The instruction was 90 minutes with the middle 60 as 10 x 3 mins threshold / 3 mins steady. It was cold again (goes without saying) so I togged up and headed out on my Kew – Richmond loop for this one. It all went well though, each effort was completed between 5:38 and 5:54 m/m. The 5:38 was a bit of an outlier, most splits were around 5:45-50. The “recoveries”  were run at a pace of around 6:30-50m/m, but by the last 2 I was knackered and these were more of a jog, I won’t tell if you don’t 😉

Friday was rest. Was considering doing a little recovery run as I missed one run on Tuesday but felt pretty grotty all day and decided to take it easy instead.

Still felt tired and under the weather on Saturday, and spent most of the day in bed taking it easy. But, I knew I had a hill session scheduled and dragged myself out in the late afternoon to do it. It was freezing yet again, actually snowing this time. This was 3 x 10 mins continuous hills, not a session I’ve done before. Nick had set it before, but due to illness and injury I hadn’t ever attempted it.

Managed a decent pace in the first two reps (5:53, 5:56), but couldn’t maintain it in the last (6:10). No big deal, this is really the first of these kenyan hill type sessions plus I  missed most of the XC season so my leg strength is not that great right now. Think it went okay considering the circumstances (under the weather and very cold).

Now onto Sunday, and my longest run for ages. This was billed in my schedule from Nick as 2:15 with the last 30 at marathon pace, which is not quite what happened…

It was another cold day, hovering just above freezing, and I was feeling the effects from yesterdays hills (only 16 hours ago). The cold air was also affecting my breathing and my lungs felt really constricted, I knew in the first few yards this wouldn’t be my best run. I think the shock of the cold air after the warmth of Mallorca has definitely given my body a few problems this week.

All that probably explains why I struggled on the final MP section. I had to really work for the maintain the pace and about 25 mins in a particularly slippy section on the towpath slowed me right down for a few seconds before summoning up one last effort for another 3rd of a mile, then called it a day.

Although it felt tough and I bailed a bit early, I am not too worried. Got it mostly done, despite the cold, breathing problems and tiredness from yesterday.

This was quite a hard week looking back at it, and I shouldn’t be too worried if a few sessions feel hard when I’m a bit ill and, I’ll say it again, it’s so damn cold!