In need of a break

It has been very solid training since Dunsaughlin 10k, but I need a break!

My body is telling me this. While I have managed to keep the miles up this week, it has been very tough going.

Monday rest as normal.
Tuesday tempo. My old garmin decided to act up again, and went from a full battery to empty overnight while switched off. So, for the first time in a long time, I ran to feel with no watch on.
I knew my distance. One mile easy pace, felt like the normal 7:30ish, and then I picked up the pace. I was concious I still had Sunday's 18 miles in the legs, and the first two miles were hard enough going, I reckon around 6:45 pace, but then I freed up nicely. I can only guess at the pace, but it felt around a 6:20 effort, which was pushing, but not overly difficult. I sustained that to home with 9 miles in total.

Wednesday morning out before work, 8 easy miles.

Thursday speed session. I was concious that I slightly over cooked last weeks session, so I decided to temper this one slightly. 2 mile warm-up, 6:48 average, OK, so the temper not starting too well!
After a few strides around one loop of the track, I set of on a 1 mile rep, which surprisingly came in at 5:35. That was quite a shock. It was pretty much the fastest 1 mile I had ever run, and I wasn't at max effort running it.

Net was 2x2 mile reps, first interval 2 minutes, second 3 minutes.
First set of two miles, consistent 5:50, 5:51.
Second set 5:56, 5:59. I was cooked after the second set. A one mile rep is fine, the two mile sets are much harder. Two easy miles for home with 9 for the session.

Friday was 8 miles easy. The first 6 went ok, the last two were a real struggle. The humidity was very high, and being up for work at 4:15am didn't help.

Saturday 8 miles easy, again, not so easy. I knew after that run that I was pushing myself to beyond comfortable. I had done 60 miles over 6 days, one day rest, and heading towards another 60 miles, with some very hard sessions in there. Great training, but pushing my limits. I was dreading today's long run, which was to be 19 miles.

I had hoped to try and push today's long run out until the evening to give me a little more recovery time, but the family had plans for me, so a morning run it was.
It was already quite warm as I went out, and I had just received a delivery of gels, so I was going to introduce them this week. Cliff shot bloks are what I use. Up to this it had just been a water and cordial mix, two 250ml bottles.
I also changed the route today. After the first mile, I was doubtful if I would achieve the planned 19 miles, so I used my local one mile lap route, interspersed with a two mile lap. This allowed me to place the drinks bottles and not have to carry them ,which I hate doing. Also, one bottle was just water to wash down the gels.
As I mentioned, the first 3 miles were tough, and too fast. I settled after that, but to be honest never really found a comfortable zone. The gels didn't work very well for me, and I found each mile after taking one was very tough, but that should improve with exposure.
While it was tough, up to 18 miles went ok, with a 7:13 average, from a planned 7:20 pace, with the miles form 10 all negative splits, and mostly 7:10 or under. That was with the exception of mile 19, where the change in nutrition and hydration, not to motion it being mile 61 of the week, took its toll.
I was glad to be home !

So this coming week will be a bit of a taper week, which my body badly needs. I don't anticipate that I will equal the Dundaughlin time of 37:07, Fingal is a slightly tougher course.

We will see.