Another good long one

20M long run incl 18M crescendo at 6.30 (0-6), 6.00 (6-12) & 5.32 (12-18)

I wanted to fit in another good crescendo run this week before the taper begins. These are the closest I come to racing over long distance in terms of mental and physical effort. They scare me but also give me confidence.

This was another good one. It was no faster than my equivalent run prior to London, but my legs have suffered more hard miles than then, so I'll take encouragement from that.

I took the first two 6 mile segments fairly easily, sticking to the schedule closely.

I planned to head out on the third segment at 5.40ish and slowly crank it up. And I managed it pretty well. The first mile was at 5.39, the second and third at 5.37, the fourth at 5.38 (but up the Queenstown Road hill) and the last two at 5.20ish (probably actually the fifth was at 5.25 and the sixth at 5.15). Good stuff.

I warmed down dead slow for a couple of miles at the end.

Then I had breakfast. (I had woken at 2.30 for some Yazoo, so I was partially fuelled for it, but didn't take any drink during the run.)

No niggles, by the way. I'm good again.