No Spring Marathon for my step

This year is the first year in three with no spring marathon planned.
Boston last year, and London the year before. Other years, I has also ran Limerick twice, so it is a bit strange, but very welcome, not to be out grinding 20 milers at the weekend.

Tempo sessions have been going well. This week, Monday was an easy 8 mile run, although when I say easy, I did a bit of a Fartlek, with 3 of those 8 at 6:50 pace (with the wind on my back).
Tuesday, heading out the door, the legs felt quite heavy, and I was a bit doubtful that my planned tempo session would go well. Last weeks tempo was an 8 mile run at 6:18 average, and I was very pleased with the 10 mile session, but this week, I just wasn't 'feeling it'.
On the first mile of two warmup, I decided to adjust the plan from another 8 mile tempo, to some slightly more manageable chunks.
I did a two mile tempo, planned at 6:15, ended at 6:06 average. Two minute recovery, another 2 mile tempo, again 6:15 planned, 6:08 average. I followed these up with 2x1 mile at 6:08 and 6:01. Two mile cooldown, with 10 for the session. I was agin pleased with that session, although disappointed not to get the full consistent 8 mile.
Wednesday I was off to the USA, so a rest day. My colleague on the trip is a triathlete, and was keen to run while we were away so I brought my gear. 11 miles fartlek in Seattle was a nice way to pass a morning on Thursday, and even though I was 10 years older, I gave a good account of myself I believe, although it has to be said, he would hand me my ass on a bike!

Flying back Friday, wiped out and bed early. A very hilly 12 mile session Saturday, which went quite well. At times I was cruising along without thinking, no water, and just enjoying the run.
Today's run again was to be an easy effort for 10 miles, and that easy effort for many miles was around the 7:15 to 7:30 mark, and the run ended up being a bit long at another 12 miles.
The two days of relatively higher mileage really effected my metabolism. For some reason, today on the last mile, I got a very bad stomach cramp, and just about held on for a sprint to the toilet!
Afterwards, I was extremely hungry for the entire afternoon and evening. I suppose the mileage was a bit higher this week at 52.
However, I think the lack of the really low runs at the weekend is not sapping my strength such that I can perform better on the harder faster sessions, so hopefully that will bear out in better times when I start racing. It will be interesting to compare this years times to last year, as a creature of habit I tend to enter the same races every year!