Updates

So it's a long time since I posted, for various reasons, but if I want to have any record of what training I have done this year I figure I need to put it down.

After the long 20 miler in the previous post, training didn't really get any more consistent. I was still finding the long stuff challenging, so I decided to try and step back a bit to hopefully progress.

I concentrated on trying to get some faster miles done, weekly mileage for the next week was only 40, but there were some quality sessions. The long run the following Sunday was only 12 miles, but ran at 6:45 pace. I also did 6 days of running subsequently. Some old reliable tempo's were reintroduced, starting with 5 miles at 6:30, then 6 at 6:30.

I started to get a head cold, and it progressed slightly to my chest. Never the less, I ran the Dublin race series half marathon. Enough has been said about the organisation of the event, and although the first half of the course was 'challenging', I managed a 1:25:09. This did surprise me somewhat, as I had started out very conservatively, and found I had lots left over the last few miles, the last mile being a 6:11!

Immeadiately after the race, the chest infection took hold in earnest, and I spent two days in bed. So back to a tentative running schedule, not really getting any high mileage weeks in. My speed sessions consist of 4x2 miles, at 6:20 pace, 3 minute intervals. These are good workouts I find.

I ran the Irish 3/4 marathon on Sunday. Again I went out conservatively, planning a 7:00 minute mile pace, and ended up finishing in 2:15 for a 6:52 average. This was faster, but felt like a natural pace, so I just went with it. Surprisingly, yesterday there was very little tiredness evident, but I just did an easy 5 miles to recover.

A speed session today with the club, which I haven't done in a very long time. A mile warmup , then 7x800 at 5k pace. I did feel the effort on the last 800, but overall a very solid session, with 4 easy miles to finish.

If I can get some good quality sessions in over the next two weeks, I might have a shot at a descent marathon at Dublin. Gary's plan as always a bit unconventional when it comes to the concept of a taper, with 60 miles each week for the next two weeks.