A good long run

23M am long run at 6.45-5.50-5.30/5.20 (7M-7M-7M; 2M warm down)

I got up early this morning to squeeze in a long run before the start of the working day. I can't say I was that looking forward to it, especially as we ate dinner after 10 last night and it wasn't the lightest.

I ran my preferred crescendo pattern, dividing the run up into thirds. I wasn't the most full of energy and 5.30 was a bit of an effort into the wind. But I kept my pace well and put in a mile and a bit at 5.20 just before the end.

Porridge, Bircher muesli and an Anzac biscuit for breakfast.

Steady

18M double; steady run & recovery run
11M am steady run
7M pm recovery run

I'm continuing my inverted days - longer in the morning than the evening - so that I can try to fit in a proper long one before work tomorrow. That depends on me getting an early night (after a good feed). And Y not going into labour...

Some 2K reps to start the working week

11M am incl 5x2K off 60s jog

This week looks like it might be busy, so I've rejigged my running timetable a bit. Today, I got up early, ran down to the Embankment (via work to drop off my work clothes etc) and ran a pre-work session on my normal patch. It worked better than expected: it have me a 4 mile warm-up and the pavement was less crowded than in the evening. I even got a bit of encouragement from a passing Highgate Harrier on her bike!

And the reps were quite good. Judging from the segment I know the distances for, I was running at 4.50-4.55min/M pace fairly consistently, despite feeling Saturday's race in my quads.

Just seven

7M pm recovery run

A busy day picking up things for home and the like and I'm going to run sessions on Monday and Wednesday this week (hopefully). So I kept my running to a fairly springy seven miler in the evening while the very tasty mushroom rice bake (more Nigel Slater - in homage to Y's chowder) was in the oven.

My legs are ok after yesterday - which was one of those days when I was limited more by my inability to find a rhythm rather than my fitness or strength I think.

A less impressive day at the National XC champs

15M incl 12K National XC champs (114th; 5th Highgate; team 8th)

I had a much worse race today than last week. I'm not sure why really - I rested a bit (unlike last week) and I have been ok on dodgy, muddy courses like this one earlier in the year.

It was properly cold but in a window I didn't previously know existed where snow settles but the mud underneath doesn't freeze and stays as foot-numbing semi-liquid. Ideal if your plan was to end up feeling like you we're running on stumps after a third of your race, but suboptimal for most other purposes.

Anyway, I should think it made for some good photos and we all had the same to contend with.

And to be honest, I would have been delighted with being the 5th Highgate man in last season (or even earlier this season). And 114th is better than last year.

Plus, as ever, it was a great team day out - plenty of good company on the train up and down. And it was amazing to be there with Shaun finishing 4th. Unbelievable!

The day ended well too - Y had made me a Nigel Slater haddock chowder to die for when I got home.

Rest

A day off - ahead of tomorrow's race.

A couple of easy runs plus some strides

14M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run
7M pm recovery run with 6x100m strides

Just two easy runs, the second with some good-feeling strides.

I'm going to rest tomorrow ahead of the National on Saturday.

Steady

21M double; recovery run & steady run
7M am recovery run at ~6.45min/M
14M pm steady run at ~6.15-6.00m min/M

My legs were sluggish as hell this morning and again at the beginning of my run this evening. They did gradually wake up and I managed a proper 'steady' run in the end - enough to keep me breathing deeply but not heavily (and enough to keep me warm).

Easier running tomorrow.

A pyramid session on good legs

18M double; recovery run & pyramid session
7M am recovery run
11M pm pyramid session 400-600-800-1K-1.2K-1M-1.2K-1K-800-600-400 off 60s jog

It was surprisingly warm down on the Embankment this evening while I ran my session. Which might be why it felt like a good one. Judging from Saturday's run, I must be in a good little phase too. I had a good rhythm.

Recovery

14M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run at ~6.30min/M
7M pm recovery run at ~6.30min/M

Two recovery runs that felt not too bad today. One in the Essex countryside before clinic in Chelmsford. The other around and through the Heath just before dark. Looking forward to a taper week ahead of the hitting the National hard...

Summary of week ending 17/02/2013

Mon 11/02 - 7M am recovery run
Tue 12/02 - 22M crescendo run at 6.45-5.45-5.20min/M (1st-2nd-3rd thirds)
Wed 13/02 - 19M double; 12M steady run & 7M recovery run
Thu 14/02 - 18M double; 11M incl 10x3m25 up/down hill reps off 60s & 7M recov
Fri 15/02 - 13M double; 7M & 6M recovery runs
Sat 16/02 - 15M incl 15K x-country race
Sun 17/02 - 22M steady long run at ~6.15min/M
TOTAL - 116M

22 steady

22M pm steady long run at ~6.15min/M

I left my long run until the evening today to let my legs get over yesterday - they were pretty raw still in the morning. And I also kept the run to a steady pace rather than pushing it. I didn't want to risk injury... An OK end to a great week. I'm increasingly pleased with yesterday's race.

A team silver at the Southern Champs!

15M incl 15K South of England xc champs (52.59; 23rd; 3rd Highgate; Team Silver)

I'm really pleased with today's race - both on a personal and a team note. 15K is clearly going to be more up my street than most cross-country, but I've had it in my head until recently that I'm no good at cross-country and that Parliament Hill (particularly when slushy) is not my course. I'm now consigning both of those to the bin and will start focusing on the more positive approach of working out how to move up the field further.

My pacing was good today - a lesson painfully learnt at last year's Parliament Hill National and 2011's Southern. I was about 60th after half a lap, 50th at the end of the first lap, 30ish after two and around 23rd (I think) by the end. I even held somebody off in a sprint finish.

It's testament to the team that Silver feels like a bit of a disappointment. My main regret is that I had to (literally) run home from the finish line to make it into the shower, then car to Oxford to see some opera (la-di-da), so I missed the post-race celebrations.

I can't wait for the National now - I'm going to give myself a bit of a taper. Target? I'll wait til the endorphins have worn off before committing myself!

Easy

13M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run
6M pm recovery run

Two gentle recoveries today. My legs aren't feeling that great, but we'll see what tomorrow flushes out of them.

Shorter Parliament Hill reps

18M double; hill rep session & recovery run
11M am incl 10x3m20s up/down hill reps off 60s jog
7M pm recovery run

In (mental more than physical) preparation for the Southern x-country championships this Saturday I headed to Parliament Hill for some of my up then down hill reps. Usually I start by the Lido, follow the start of the Southern/National x-country course tot the brow of the hill, turn up the hill and run to the top before retracing my route to the Lido again. It takes around 5 minutes.

The start and finish funnels are already marked out for Saturday's race - I guess that means its on... And the start is just above the first East-West path rather then down at the Lido, so we'll miss out the ultra-slushy playing fields at the bottom. So today, I started and finished at Saturday's start line. Which meant each rep was about 3min20-25s in length. Still pretty harsh, as it's all steep.

I warmed down around most of the rest of the big loop of the championship course. Unsurprisingly, it's MUDDY.

Just a gentle run in the evening. My legs were full of running. Hopefully I'm entering a full-of-beans purple patch. (If so, please can I request that it lasts 10 or so days.)

Steady and some strides

19M double; steady run & recovery run with strides
12M am steady run at ~6.15min/M
7M pm recovery run incl 6x100m strides

My legs were tired this morning but back in the groove this evening. Enough for my evening recovery run to be faster than often and the strides didn't feel like a drag.

Behaving like an idiot on a 22M crescendo run

22M am crescendo run at 6.45-5.45-5.20 (1st-2nd-3rd thirds)

I keep behaving like an idiot at the beginning of my long runs at the moment. I'm in the best shape I've ever been, and over recent weeks I've run the best long runs I've ever managed. But I still keep heading out feeling like rubbish and thinking that that means I can't pick up the pace and really nail the session.

Today followed the same pattern. The first seven and a bit miles were heavy legged and 6.45 pace felt like 6.15 usually does. The beginning of the middle segment (which I wanted to run at around 6.00 pace) was a bit of an effort, but once I settled in to a rhythm I found that I was feeling happier at 5.45 pace than I had at the rest of the run.

I ended up running the third segment at 5.20ish (5.19 for the first half of it and then slower but at equal effort up through the traffic home).

My little legs are now full of scrambled eggs and homemade sourdough.

A good use of holiday!?

Just seven

7M am recovery run at ~7min/M

Just seven nice and easy miles around the Heath in the snow this morning. It's still very wet... Saturday is going to be a mud bath.

Summary of week ending 10/02/2013

Mon 4/2 - 14M double; 7M recovery runs x2
Tue 5/2 - 22M double; 7M recov & 15M at 6min/M except 7-11 @5.30
Wed 6/2 - 18M double; 7M recov & 11M incl 10K pyramid session
Thu 7/2 - 17M double; 7M recov & 10M steady incl 12x100m
Fri 8/2 - 14M double; 6M & 8M recovery runs
Sat 9/2 - 10M incl 8K cross-country race
Sun 10/2 - 20M at 6.30min/M except last 5M at 5.30min/M
TOTAL - 115M

20, finishing fairly fast (not bad considering)

20M pm long run at 6.30 (1-15M) and  ~5.30 (last 5M)

Another fairly late in the day long run today. And another better than expected one.

I was tired before yesterday's race, let alone after it and felt pretty heavy legged for parts of the (gentle) first three quarters of today's long run. But one I decided to give a bit of speed a go, I felt much better. I didn't want to over do it the day after a race, so pushing the last five miles seemed like a sensible option (I had actually meant to run the middle third fast but was too busy feeling sorry for myself and my heavy legs at that stage to realise it'd be fine). 5.30 felt not to bad - the sort of speed that comes without too much of a push once I get up on my toes.

I am aiming for another fairly solid week ahead of the Southerns.

Victory for Highgate in the Met League!

10M incl 8K cross-country race (31.13; 17th; 5th Highgate)

Today was yet another wonderful team day out with Highgate. I think this is what teams should be about. Hard training, no egos (despite there being some stars) and a child-like joy in the battle of competition. Exactly the reason I love the club.

The course was flat and firm and right up my street, but I somehow didn't quite have the spring today. I guess my legs have had a lot of hard miles recently and not much rest, so I hope they will respond better when they've had a bit of a rest before races in weeks and months to come - the good sessions I've had recently tell me that they should.

Bring on the title defence at the Southern Champs next Saturday!

Easy

14M double; 6M & 8M recovery runs

A couple of easy runs. That's all. Racing tomorrow.

Steady - with some strides

17M double; recovery run & steady run
7M am recovery run
10M pm steady run with 12x100m strides

My legs are holding up ok this week, though I felt pretty slow this morning. My evening run had enough spring in it to call it steady and the strides felt good (as much as they could in the wind and rain).

Nice dinner at Les Deux Salons to refuel.

Pyramid session

18M double; recovery run & pyramid session
7M am recovery run
11M pm incl 400-600-800-1K-1.2K-1M-1.2K-1K-800-600-400 off 60s jog

A good-feeling pyramid session down by the river today after a choca day at work. It wasn't properly times, so it's hard to know how fast I was. But hey.

Medium-long run with a bit of tempo

22M double; recovery run & medium-long partly at tempo
7M am recovery run
15M pm at ~6.00min/M except miles 7-11 at ~5.30min/M

Today I felt like complete rubbish in the morning. Legs like lead. But plenty of coffee and a pre-run Digestive biscuit seemed to do he trick in the evening and I felt fairly decent for my 'medium-long' evening run. The majority was run at a steady ~6min/M with a burst at about 5.30min/M from mile 7 to mile 11. A bit of a workout, but not too hard on the legs.

Recovery (and stew)

14M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run
7M pm recovery run

I took it really easy today. To and from work only.

Summary of week ending 03/02/2013

Mon 28/01 - 14M double; 7M recovery runs x2
Tue 29/01 - 18M double; 7M recovery & 11M incl 10x1K off 60s jog
Wed 30/01 - 19M double; 7M recovery & 12M at 6.15min/M incl 12x100m strides
Thu 31/01 - 13M double; 7M & 6M recovery runs
Fri 01/02 - 18M double; 11M incl 400-600-800-1K-1.2K-1M-etc pyramid off 60s jog & 7M recov
Sat 02/02 - 7M am recovery run
Sun 03/02 - 22M pm long run with 1-10 at 6.15min/M & 11-21 surging 5.05-5.25/5.45 (av 5.27)
TOTAL - 111M

Back to fast miles - 22 with surges

22M pm long run 1-10M at ~6.15min/M; 10-21M at 4.55-5.25 (surges) / 5.42 (recoveries)

My legs are fickle little things. They are back on form today and, though I've never run a long run like this one, I think they've never been better.

I ran it late in the day so that I didn't have to miss out on sleep or my planned activities for the day. Maybe that helped.

I took it fairly easy for the first 10 miles and then ran the second half in surges. The plan was to run surges of miles at about 5m15s pace alternating with miles at 5m45s pace. It's my much slower version of a session that Charlie Spedding used before his Los Angeles bronze.

My first hard mile came out at 4.55, so I thought I'd keep up a healthy pace for another couple at least (5.25). I then switched to more like what I had planned (alternate hard and 5.45 pace). I was only interrupted by an almighty and undignified fall in front of a gaggle of tourists as I cornered over-enthusiastically at Tower Hill...

Miles 11-21 mile-by-mile came out at 4.55-5.25-5.25-5.42-5.18-5.30-5.20 (excluding a pause to repair my pride after my fall)-5.45-5.15-5.40-5.20. That means the average for the 11 mile stretch was 5.25 with seven harder miles and four steadier. Tidy. Especially when I consider the fact that my legs were so rubbish on Friday morning that I only managed 5.17 for the mile rep in the middle of my pyramid session. And the rubbish medium-long tempo the week before was a struggle at 5.35...

I warmed down nice and sedately for mile 22 and then took the tube home with a Yazoo, and oat bar and the Observer from Embankment. Met some nice teachers from Haverstock School on the tube.

I like this session. I'll try it again.

Easy (on Groundhog Day)

7M am recovery run

It's Groundhog Day. There was much eating (including a good amount of croissant, cheese and some fine fayre at Nopi). And I ran 7 miles very slowly in the morning.

A bit of a sluggish pyramid session

18M double; pyramid session & recovery run
11M am incl pyramid session (400-600-800-1K-1.2K-1M-1.2K-1K-800-600-400) off 60s jog
7Mm pm recovery run

I ran a rubbish pyramid session this morning. I'm going to try to blame it on the rain or the wind or the core strength session I did last night. Or perhaps just the fact I seem to be having a bad patch to mirror the great week or two I had when I was in and just back from Paris.

The 400s were in 71-2s (that's 4m45s miling only), the 800s in about 2m35s, the Ks in 3m14-15s and the mile was in 5m17s. All pretty slow despite me feeling like I was busting a gut and despite the fact that I was left feeling a bit rubber-legged all day.

I'll just keep my head down and keep churning out the sessions and hope my form comes back.