22 mile crescendo run

22M am long run at 6.55 (0-5M), 6.25 (5-10), 6.00 (10-16) & 5.40 (16-22)

I hit this one pretty hard. And I tried to prepare for it properly. I ate well yesterday and woke early (4am) for a quick Yazoo and banana pre-race-style breakfast.

The preparation didn't help me feel convinced I was going to have a good one though. My legs were pretty tired as I set off. But that turned out to be temporary. I've decided that running slowly makes me feel more tired. I feel better when I his 6.25min/M pace.

6.00min/M pace felt much like it did in the build-up to London: not bad once I remembered to lean a bit forward on my toes.

And 5.40min/M pace (20s per mile slower than race pace) was a bit of a push at times, but I had enough in the tank to hit the last mile really hard and claw back the seconds I had lost up the Queenstown Road hill. The last mile was probably at 5.15min/M (including a bit of a slow down to dodge some wideboys on Acre Lane).

The first half was around Brockwell and Dulwich. The second was to and from (and around) Battersea Park.

My legs are niggle free in the aftermath.