9/2/16 – Gone with the Wind

Confession Time: We didn’t get our long run in this week. The first major deviation from ‘the plan’.

Oh, we had plans – good plans – but it seems every time we set foot in Wales things go awry. Let’s just say I’m never going to use the phrase ‘a weather eye’ again.

We were away for another Welsh weekend as Palace were at Swansea, so the plan was to do a 12 miler on Monday, when back home. Enter Storm Imogen and super-strong winds that morning which made running any distance unwise on many levels. It was still bad when we ventured out to the gym for a 40 minute treadmill run, later that afternoon.

Neither did it help that I managed to forget to bring the bag with our trainers to Wales, thus the planned 5K around Cardiff Bay (to make up for missing parkrun) was also a non-starter. As it turned out not a bad thing as the weather was equally filthy on Sunday Morning, if not quite as blowy as the following day.

This left us both with a worrying 12 mile deficiency for last week and the Headcorn Half Marathon to run this weekend. Thus, I ‘decided’ that although the idea was to take the race as a training pace, rather than a PB attempt, we should still taper down a little bit. Thus a 10K in the week and Saturday parkrun, would be ideal prep. And we’ve always accepted the wisdom, that once you’ve got a 10 miler under your belt in training, then Half Marathon distance should not be a big problem. See? I can rationalise just about anything. 

Before the weekend’s disruption, I had run two 5Ks, an easy trot around the Classic course early in the week (32:26), then a faster buddy run on Thursday with John around the hillier Home Parkrun, which I managed to PB (31.40). Both runs were well under 10.30 per mile average, which was pleasing, but this pace is way faster than my intended Half and Full Marathon pace.  I feel that, at some point, I’ve got a strike a balance, even on the shorter runs.

Since our entry was confirmed, we heard a lot about L.S.D. (long, slow distance, not the other stuff) from experienced Marathon running mates. How it vital to run slowly and get used to being on your feet running for longer than previously experienced. I get that, it just doesn’t seem to apply for these shorter runs in the week. Maybe it’ll become clearer how it all slots together during the Half on Sunday (he says hopefully).

Anyway, enough of the deep self-analysis, if nothing else it’s must be boring the tits off you all.  A lighter note to end on, remember Steve – the PT guy from the new Gym? Whenever I’ve been in the Gym since, I’ve been careful not to catch his eye, seeing as he promised me ‘a beasting’ in our next session together, yet I could barely walk down the stairs after our first gentle one.  However yesterday my luck ran out, quite literally – there’s nowhere to hide on a running machine as he bounded over for a chat and gentle reminder that I hadn’t yet to set a date for our next encounter,

I can feel my groin tightening in dread as I type.