Another 50 miles (well 48.4...)
I started off the week with an easy 10k at a very slow pace and followed this up on Wednesday morning with a 12 mile run to work at whatever pace that felt comfortable. I'm beginning to really enjoy this run on a cold winter's day, setting off whilst its still dark, then running underneath Spaghetti Junction and the last half an hour along the canals. Although I was slightly slower than usual I was carrying a fairly heavy rucksack in compensation. Only other thing to note was that at the Christmas Lunch I broke my 10 month abstinence from alcohol since entering the MdS in early March!
I was getting increasingly tired during the week and for some reason or another I just couldn't get a good nights sleep. As a result on Thursday I was totally shattered, but still forced myself out for a run, but gave it up after just 1km which is the first time I've mentally caved in.
I decided to not bother with a run on Friday; apart from anything else I'm not sure whether I could have coped with another knock to my confidence if I bombed on my long run again the next day. On Sat I went for the same 20 mile run that I've done a couple of times before, but this time took half a litre of liquid with me and made sure I drank regularly. The only downside was that carrying a larger bottle was a bit of a faff and was hurting my arms in the early stages. On the plus side it must have done the trick as although I was fading away after 15 miles or so I still felt ok and good enough to really push in the last 4 miles when it gets a bit hilly. Although I was slightly slower than the previous week (when I hit the wall), I felt that if there was another 6 miles to make it a full marathon I could have coped with it. It was certainly my best of the three 20 milers I've done so far.
Today I rounded off the week with a 9 mile recovery jog which was the first back to back run I've done after one of my 20 milers. Well, I say recovery jog as that was the intention, but in the end it turned into a time trial as I was feeling pretty good and I zoomed around in 62.30 with 150m of climb averaging 6.55 min miles! Oops!
Overall for the week I've done 48.4 miles so is the third longest distance I've covered. I'm pretty pleased with how the week turned out in the end and hope next week will be more of the same.
I was getting increasingly tired during the week and for some reason or another I just couldn't get a good nights sleep. As a result on Thursday I was totally shattered, but still forced myself out for a run, but gave it up after just 1km which is the first time I've mentally caved in.
I decided to not bother with a run on Friday; apart from anything else I'm not sure whether I could have coped with another knock to my confidence if I bombed on my long run again the next day. On Sat I went for the same 20 mile run that I've done a couple of times before, but this time took half a litre of liquid with me and made sure I drank regularly. The only downside was that carrying a larger bottle was a bit of a faff and was hurting my arms in the early stages. On the plus side it must have done the trick as although I was fading away after 15 miles or so I still felt ok and good enough to really push in the last 4 miles when it gets a bit hilly. Although I was slightly slower than the previous week (when I hit the wall), I felt that if there was another 6 miles to make it a full marathon I could have coped with it. It was certainly my best of the three 20 milers I've done so far.
Today I rounded off the week with a 9 mile recovery jog which was the first back to back run I've done after one of my 20 milers. Well, I say recovery jog as that was the intention, but in the end it turned into a time trial as I was feeling pretty good and I zoomed around in 62.30 with 150m of climb averaging 6.55 min miles! Oops!
Overall for the week I've done 48.4 miles so is the third longest distance I've covered. I'm pretty pleased with how the week turned out in the end and hope next week will be more of the same.
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