Last week I undertook to increase my mileage by 10% from the 42 I had done, I ended up a bit over that with 51 done in total. The extra miles were due to the fact that I didn't take a rest day, but I didn't feel I needed one, and with the weather being mostly good this week I decided to make run while the sun shines.
Monday 7 miles @ 7 min pace
Tuesday 4.5 miles speedwork
Wednesday 9 miles @ 7.20 pace
Thursday 8.5 miles with sub40 10k
Friday 5.5 miles @ 7.40 pace
Saturday 5k @ 6.00 pace
Sunday 13 miles, 10 @7.15 with last 3 @6.25
On Monday I had company for the run with Brian C from the club who showed me how to run up hills! Tuesdays speed session was 8x2 min 5k pace with 1 min jog recovery which I ran at 5.55 pace, although at the end of the session I felt I should have ran them at 5.50 as I was ready for more punishment! Wednesday was just an easyish run to build miles and was a pretty flat course. Thursday was tempo day and it was great to have 3 other guys from the club join me. 39.35 for the 10k, and from this week I am going to start trying to improve this time by 5 seconds per mile for the next few weeks toward a 6.10 pace. Friday was a recovery run, and the legs felt quite tired from the effort the day before and I suppose the higher mileage for the week.
On Saturday a few of us had planned to do the local park run in Malahide. The morning was really wet and pretty cold, but the brave and dedicated runners we are, we went anyway. It was my first time, but Brian C had been the week before and gave us a good rundown on what to watch out for on the course. The field of runners was probably smaller than usual given the weather, but there was still a good crowd.
So, one of the effects of getting older is the eyesight has gotten bad. I am short sighted, and without my glasses I have difficulty making out faces etc at distance. Off we went at the start, the rain still coming down quite hard, and the park trails were very muddy and quite waterlogged. I had set the watch for a 3.40 k pace, and after the first lap I was third, with the two runners in front quite a distance ahead. At this position, I had nobody in front of me to follow with the next group of 6 runners about 50 meters behind me. As I ran, head down with cap on, I didn't notice the arrow pointing to go right on this new part of the course, and kept going straight. It was only when the group behind came around the bend and saw me heading merrily off the wrong way, did they begin shouting at me. I turned my head to see them all veer right, and I wont go into much detail as to me comments, suffice to say I was not pleased!
I turned and set off after the group, passing 4 of them again, but unable to pass the two at the lead of the group, to finish 5th at 18.32. It was a good time under the circumstances of the weather and my little detour, and I enjoyed the run, with a large slice of cake and a coffee afterwards, burning the ears of the lads with my tale of woe!
Sundays run was to be timed, but I have a nice course which is hilly at the start, and pretty much exactly 13.1 miles. As per Gary's instructions, I ran the first 10 at a relatively easy pace, not on the watch, just on feel, although keeping the time, and the last 3 again, on feel. I was pleasantly surprised to see the sub 6.30 pace for the last 3 miles, and while the effort was certainly hard, not prohibitively so.
A number of things for this week, assistant coach course with AAI on Saturday, cushinstown races for the kids Sunday morning, with a quick dash to Raheny for the 5 mile race on Sunday. Oh, and I will have to squeeze in work too!
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