I'm in the Money!

The plan for this week was a bit undecided, but I knew the minimum amount of miles acceptable, and I also knew what the key sessions should be.

Monday I took as my rest day, and going forward, that will be the plan, as I intend to do the bulk of the long mile sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

Tuesday was a really nice day, and I went out with a 9 mile tempo in mind, just like last week (which didn't happen). Turns out, it didn't happen this week either!
As I was setting out for my tempo loop course, I passed by the local track adjacent to the secondary school. The sports campus has now been separated from the school, and so I enquirys from a grounds man if I could use the track. Sure no bother he said, so I changed up to a speed session.

I did 1 5k run, with the pace set at 5:50 on the watch. I finished it easily enough, 18:04 on the watch. I was really pleased with that, given a previous PB of 17:59, but running on the track which is pancake flat and smooth is very different than running on the road.

3 minute rest, and off for another 5k, this time at 6:05 on the watch, and finishing in 19:02. Again, pleased with that. After that a few easy miles to make 10 for the session.

Wednesday I could feel the effort of the speed session in the legs. 8 easy miles, we're just that for pace, but not for effort. There was a kind of inner soreness, like after a marathon, and the 8 miles were hard won.

Thursday was another rest day, for two reasons. 1, work, 2, there was a local 6k on in Navan on Friday night, and I wanted to keep my options open. It was not certain right up until Friday evening whether or not I could run it, but it turned out I could, so I drove over.
It was a wet evening, but otherwise, good.  No wind, and a flat course. The start was heavily congested, and even tough I was only about four rows back, because it was a very wide line, when the gun went, I found myself having to try and get around a lot of overly enthusiastic runners who might have been more suited to a more conservative starting position.
I had the watch set to a 5:50 pace, and the first mile was 5:51, although it felt harder trying to negotiate the obstacle course of runners.
The pace felt comfortable, as well it might as I have been doing that pace so much. Mile 2 was a bit of a shock at 5:56. I hadn't realised I had slowed off the pace, however, it did strike me that the effort felt more like a 10k effort than a 6k effort. The upside was that I hoped it would stand to me in the closing stages.
Mile 3 was a battle, literally. I closed up behind a runner who appeared to be likely to be in my age category. As he glanced at me pulling along side, the same thought obviously struck him.
He 'sportingly' decided to make it difficult for me to pass by pulling out in front of me every time I tried. This got very frustrating, and energy sapping. Eventually, I had to push the effort harder, and I passed him. 5:56.
A nice finish on a track, to come in 22:16, 21st out of 804 runners, and fourth in category.

Fourth, again! Just like Boyne 10k two weeks ago. Well, turns out not. A nice surprise today to receive a nice cheque from Boyne 10k race for third place M40. Turns out some runner was counted in the incorrect category which bumped me up to third. I was well pleased with my winnings, only the second time ever to get some money back.

Saturday was a very hilly 12 mile run, which actually went very well. There was no tiredness in the legs noticeable from the 6k the previous evening, and the pace was an average of 7:30.

Today was to be a high mileage day, although the legs were very tired after the hills yesterday.
I set off with 15 miles planned, and a small bottle of water. As anticipated, the first few miles were tough, but on target of 7:20. As the legs warmed up, the pace flowed easier, and the pace quickened all by itself. The route was certainly not flat, with quite a few drags, but a good surface.
Up to 10 miles felt easy enough, but miles 11 to 15 were a harder effort, however I did finish the 15 at 7:13 average pace. So 50 miles exactly for the week, which was the minimum target.