This was a great week. Alick set me a bunch of activities using running-log.com, and I tried to stick to them as closely as I could.

The first, on Tuesday, was intervals

– 90 seconds <8min/mile
– 30 seconds easy

With heat, no water (although lots earlier in the day), too many tourists funnelled around St James’ Park as it gets ready for the jubilee concert, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instinct says that it started at good tempo but slowed down over time, which bore out later when I looked at the Garmin results. Did 19 reps, having done 4 minutes at <8min/mile pace when I started (watch/Andy interface malfunction 🙂 ) 4.39 miles in 38 minutes overall, faster averages just over 8min/mile. Felt pretty good, slightly fatigued. Good stretches after.

Wednesday – hill simulations. 5WU followed by 8 x 4 as; start steady in minute 1 building to 100% effort in final minute. 1min rec slow jog between efforts. This replicates the increased gradient of a short steep hill! Power at the end!

This was great. Nailed it, I think – as in I did 7 sessions and increased tempo to below 8m/m for the last minute. 7 because, yes, again I started my Garmin in the wrong mode, so the first of 8 was manual. Did the session in Horsell Common with a backpack & 2L reservoir, so new place and new equipment. Great surface to run on though, especially through the woods and across the moor-like areas – suspect good for fell training (although pretty flat). The time/distance below includes 1 mile at ~12 minutes of jogging back to the car after session finished, during which I twisted my ankle! It’s OK though, RICEd & heading off to bed for repair. So without that final mile, the total was 4 miles in 35.5 minutes.

Alick had words about me hydrating with a backpack for a tempo run, but I really wanted to get used to running with it. He’s right, but TBH the Horsell Common isn’t the best place for this sort of session anyway – but what the hell, it was great fun and enjoyment is a big part of it!

Had a couple of days of just stretching and strengthening, plus a short jog around the park with a colleague who wants to get into running – fit as a fiddle on a bike, but shins burn up after just a short run.

Then Saturday – heavens. Ran with Alick and Alfie, his dog, around Newlands. Bit of a breakthrough this one, but I had mixed feelings afterwards. Intended to run around 9 miles with 3 or 4 big lumpy hills in there. Ran at a reasonable pace for the majority of it, 9:30 average, keeping it light up and down the slopes. Nailed it all, so pleased to still be around Alick to the end… almost. Gave up on the final hill, only a few hundred yards from the car park as it turned out. So disappointed, all those moments of realisation that I’d beaten these hills around my favourite running place suddenly lost because I failed the last slope. Damn it. I’ll be better next go.

Also need to get better at hydration. Hydrate before and after anything 10K and below, use a water bottle if need be. But I probably don’t need it. Anything above 10K, especially with hills or in the heat, bring the Camelbak or backpack with reservoir.