20 – 26 January 2020 “Going through the motions.”

A promising start to the week turned into “meh” by the end. But, it happens and we’ll see if things pick up next week.

Looking positively though, my average daily distance is higher than it’s ever been, and my cumulative elevation for this month is off the scale! I’d only hit 2000m elevation in a month once before I’d hit it again six months ago, and since then – despite achieving it a few times – I’d barely managed it; this month I’m already at over 3000m!

As for this week, I had a good club session on the Tuesday, with almost-mile reps on inclines. Wednesday was successful distance-wise, with 10-mile runcomumutes in the morning AND evening! To my advantage, it wasn’t as cold as other mornings so it was bearable. That said, summer can’t get here soon enough!

Thursday was my final decent day, with 6x800m reps with just 200m jog recovery. The reps came in bang on target, 5:29/mile with only a couple of seconds deviation on a couple of them. Oh, and the first rep I wasn’t looking at my watch, and the penultimate one I was playing Pokemon 😀

With my expectations high, I began dreaming of my long-awaited sub-17 parkrun, which I’ll attempt in a few weeks. But it felt like I had to drag myself out for my Friday runcommute and Saturday jog. When a heavy downpour put paid to my Sunday long run, it was all I could do to literally force myself to 4 miles.

Next week will be all about slow distance, nothing strenuous. Conserving energy in the tank, no speed; time to get my head back in the game.

13 – 19 January 2020 “The Iceman Runneth.”

Right, winter can do one now. I can’t even remember what it’s like to run in warm weather any more!

This was quite a good week distance-wise, coming in at 63 miles. Frustratingly, I had energy to make it up to 70 miles, but late availability (plus it being cold – really cold – and dark out) on Sunday meant I only had enough enthusiasm for a mere 5k. Still, it’s early in the training programme, so there’ll be plenty of time for record-breaking mileage in coming weeks.

Talking of high mileage, a notable run this week was an 18-miler in 2 degree weather! I’d intended to run about 13 miles of it at marathon pace, but alas, I couldn’t get my legs ticking over fast enough. My effort felt high, the speed felt right, but my watch and Strava said differently. Rather than just give up to a jog, I continued to put effort in over the entirety of the run, albeit not to marathon level. It was an enjoyable run nevertheless, covering routes which I haven’t visited for some time, heading towards the grand finale of Perry Hall parkrun…

Where is everybody?

No parkrun sign, no crowd gathered… I checked with the Run Director who I’d thought said “hi” as I ran past. Nope, turned out he’d said it was cancelled!

“Walsall and Sutton are still on,” he helpfully suggested.

“I’m not that fast,” I lied.

As it was already 8:43am, I considered if I should just do some fast miles at Perry Hall.

No. You spent 20 damn minutes searching for your barcode last night, you’d better use it.

Quickly checking the shortest route to Sutton, I picked up the pace, knowing I’d be late for the second time this year. In fact I sped up so much that when I arrived, I crashed into the Run Director!

Though I’d planned to slow it down a bit when I arrived at the parkrun, my instinct to catch up after arriving 8 minutes late and seeing person after person to overtake forced me into a faster-than-steady pace despite having already ran 14 miles!

Overall, the run came in at a 6:45/mile average. Not great, but not bad considering it was first thing in the morning, full of hills in the latter half, and I struggled with traction on the icy paths.

Hopefully with a couple of days of easy runs, I’ll be able to get back to target pace. And maybe the weather will be warmer by then as well…

6 – 12 January 2019 “Jeff Bridges.”

If Monday had a face, I’d punch it. And then run over it. Repeatedly.

My two-week hiatus from work at an end, I began the week with a slog of a runcommute to the office. Intentionally taking it easy at 8:00/mile pace, I’d intended to run home as well with a view to 18 miles for the day. Alas, I just really wasn’t in the mood for it by the afternoon – British winter weather not helping – and caught the bus instead. Of course, the bus took so long, I regretted not running it instead…

But what I lacked in discipline and distance, I made up for with determination and drive. Two workouts comprised of hill sprints (so tough, a tree whacked me in the face), an interval track session, a runch progressing from 6:20/mile to 5:38 (approximately. I’d forgotten my watch and I’m unsure of the app’s accuracy from my phone), and a fast-paced parkrun netting me a 3-second course PB at Sutton Park and second place (in my defence, first place had shot off within a quarter of a mile! Still, it was satisfactory getting a high place when people gave me funny looks when starting at the front).

It also appeared as though I wasn’t the only one putting the effort and miles in; there were joggers everywhere on the canal and in the parks. In fact, I spotted no fewer than thirty-three other runners on my Sunday run, and the parkrun had its highest Saturday attendance! New year’s resolutions, or marathon training?

Talking of my Sunday run, I’d done quite well with recalling a route through Sutton’s parks without getting lost, when to my dismay I found one of the bridges burned. Slowing to a walk as I considered my options, I surveyed the brutal damage. It was a particular shame, as I get the impression it was a memorial, with names professionally etched along it. Improvising, I managed to adapt the route, albeit losing a couple of miles.

So despite a “meh” start to the week, it largely turned out effective with a lot to show for it. As for next week… oh my life, it starts with a Monday again, doesn’t it? Urgh…

30 Dec 2019 – 5 Jan 2020 “Vision.”

With cupboards still full of Christmas chocolates and sweets and the last of the decorations coming down, it is time to dust off the holiday feels and get back into the swing of things.

Well, that’s what normal people would do. Me, I never stopped!

Starting off the week with a now-customary end-of-year long run with Barry (with a thigh-busting 805 feet of elevation!), I finished off the year with a relaxed jog with my wife, rounding off my miles for the year to 2,222!

Alas, a great finish to the year was swiftly followed by a sputtering start to the new decade. Intending a long warm-up before a tempo-paced parkrun, then a short jog with a couple more tempo miles, I showed up late to parkrun! Two and a half minutes after the mass start, I ran-fought my way through 419 other parkrunners (with many chuckling at my tardiness) to eventually finish in 34th place. Chatting with a few other runners afterwards (with a minor star-struck moment as I was introduced to elite runner Hayley Carruthers!), I got to see my daughter complete her run with a course PB of 32 minutes. Heading back to continue my long run, I – for the first time – had dizziness and felt like I was about to black out. Fortunately, my wife came to my rescue and collected me. Chalk it up to not eating breakfast (though I did have a large pizza to myself the night before), increased mileage, or whatever. All I can do is lace up and hit the road again.

The rest of the week yielded decent workouts, thankfully. Despite wanting to just relax for the following evening, I forced myself out to a club session with punishing hill intervals, with the reps coming in at a great pace. A couple of days later, I had a long run with short sprints mixed in. Despite a few gawkers and path-hoggers at the park where I ran about 12 laps, it went well and felt good.

So, despite a minor bump for the start of the year – serving as a reminder to look after myself as a priority with increased mileage ahead of me – it averaged out to be a decent week of 66 miles (my highest yet, I think!).

All that’s left to say is happy new year, and happy running!