Week ending 5th April

One week to go. The week started poorly with an aborted 10 miler on Tuesday that ended up at 5 miles feeling leggy and tired. Don't know time. Feeling peeved for quitting I decided to run again on Wednesday and ran 5 miles feeling a little better. Still average though. On Thursday I ran with my neighbour Dan, and we ran what ended up being 2.5 miles out along the camel at a decent clip, and then the same back. It ended up being 18 out and 15 back, which worked out at 6 minute miles. Felt good for it, although I twinged my hip. Hip felt sore on Friday and I went to the physio on Saturday who suggested a gluts muscle strain or minor bursitis. Icing, ibuprofen and rest are enough to get me through. Sunday I ran 10 miles and felt ok, not great. I am back running but not as well as I would have liked but know I have bagged the miles and will be ok on the day. Onwards and upwards!

Week ending 30th March

Started the week in Geelong ill. Improved as week went on. Saturday - 4.15 miles steady. Legs felt poor and out of breath. Pffff Sunday - 16 miles in 2h5 mins. Was hard. Legs felt it during run, and have stiffened up this evening. At least I am back, and need a good 10 days to sharpen back up.

Week ending 23rd March

No running. Ill. Pissed off now.

Week ending 16th March

A crap week for running. Chose to run on Wednesday on the trails in prep for the ash ridge boundary race on the weekend. Wednesday - hilly tempo trail effort. Lovely to be back out there. 10 miles in 1h15 At the end of the run I noted a sore throat, and woke up feeling ill on Thursday. I think I have sinusitis and have not trained since. I have a blocked head! Not ideal but pleased I have got some solid miles in already and will make sure I run 22 next weekend to make up for it.

Week ending 9th March

Another good week. Tuesday - 5 mins warm up and then 7 min, 6 min, 7 min, 6 min and then 7 min mile for 33 mins. Easier than last week. 5.5 miles Thursday - 10 miles tempo at 7 min mile in 1h10. Hard to begin with but got easier and pleased to stick with it. Saturday - interval effort 5 min warm up at 12k then 20 min interval, 1 min at 17k and 1 min at 12k then a 5 min warm down for 4.5 miles. Sunday - 22 miles steady effort in 2h53 mins, and whilst feeling it felt good. 42 miles for the week.

Week ending 2nd March

A busy start to the week meant runs from Thursday onwards, and with berko on Sunday I needed to keep them short. Thursday - 5 min warm up at 12k, the a 7 min, 6 min, 7 min, 6 min and 7 min mile for a 33 min 5 mile. Hard! Friday - 43 minute 10k - steady to tempo Sunday - berko half 1.31.06. Pretty happy a balanced effort and a negative split. I felt strong in the final miles and overtook quite a few people. My memories of this are similar to my pb four years ago, with a strong finish. I can only surmise that the longer marathon training runs are good for the legs!

Week ending 23rd February

Another Sid week. No plans for a long runs this week. With the berko half next week I wanted to cut the miles and work a little harder at shorter distances. Tuesday - hill interval. All session at 12kph. 5 min warm up, 5x3 mins at 5 degrees incline, with 2 mins recovery at 0 degrees, followed by 5 min at 5 degrees incline, and a 5 minute warm down. 5 miles Thursday - 10 miles at 7 mins a mile in 1h10 mins. Steady to tempo. Comfortable. Saturday - speed interval. 5 min warm up with 4x3 mins at 16kph, rest at 12kph, with 5 min warm down. 4.25 miles Sunday 10 miles. 5 out in 35 mins with 5 back in 32.45 for a good negative split 29.25 miles for the week, and some faster tempo and interval work. Some more shorter work during the week, next week before the berko half.

Week ending 16th February

A solid week. Tuesday - 6x3 mins, 5 mins warm up, 15k, 15.1k, 15.2k, 15.3k, 15.4k, 15.5k, 5 mins warm down. 5.75 miles. Friday - 30 mins cross training, with 2x3 mins at 16k, with chest, arms, core. 1.5 miles Saturday - 10k tempo at 13.3k in 45 mins, 6.25 miles. Felt it towards the end but was in the steady tempo range Sunday - 20 miles in 2.34' which is 7.43 minute miles. Steady first 14 miles with a hard 4 miles effort before an easier final 2 miles. 33.5 miles in total.

Week ending 9th February

After a great week last week comes a tired week...... Tuesday 4th - 6x3 interval like last week with intervals of 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5 and 15.6. Took a couple of breaks during these as struggling to stick with it. Felt tight chested and ankle sore too. 5.75 miles Wednesday - quit after a mile into 10 miles at 13.7k or 7minute miles. Ankle sore and no interest. Made excuse on not wanting to injure myself and stopped. Did 30 minutes on the cross trainer instead. Ankle felt sore for rest of week, and in pain when foot put down in unusual positions..... Saturday - 4.15 miles, 15 mins at 12.8k and then 15 mins at 13.7k. Ankle sore to begin with and felt good by the end. Sunday 18.1 miles in 2h 18 mins. Steady effort with a 1.5 mile steady hill at 11 miles, and then 6.40 miles for the last two. Felt tired and legs sore by the end but overall pleasing. Some ankle soreness but pretty happy. 28 miles for the week. Disappointing to quit on a run, but keeping injury free and missing a run and a session is not the end of the world.

Week ending 2nd February

A good week. 36.5 miles completed and I have tired legs for it. Tuesday - interval run 5 mins w/up at 12k, 5x3 mins at 15k/12k, and then 1x5 mins at 15k, finished with 5 mins warm down at 12k for 5.75 miles Wednesday - 10 miles on the jogging machine in 1h10 mins which equates to 7 min miles at a steady/tempo effort. Saturday - same as Tuesday except the 5x3 mins at 15k, 15.1k, 15.2k, 15.3k, 15.4k, and then the last interval at 15.5k. Harder but good. 5.75 miles Sunday - 15 miles in 1h58 mins at just under 8 mins a mile. Steady effort, on tired legs. Longest run in quite some time. More of those needed. Similar week planned next week.

Week ending 26th Jan

This week got better as it went. My calves were very sore early in the week, and my left calf felt it during running club on Wednesday evening. Jibbed it near the end and did about 8.5 miles in 1h12. Trails were very slippy but fun. 2 miles in 14 minutes on Thursday as a warm up for circuits. Coped well and enjoyed it. Saturday morning interval session. 5 min w/up, 5x3 mins with 2 mins recovery in 15k/12k, and then a 5 min 15k final interval with 5 min w/down. Not to hard and enjoyable. Did some weights to finish off. 8.6 miles in total. Sunday 12 miles easy/steady on the road. Just over 31 miles for the week. Feeling chipper about running by the end of the week

Week ending 19th Jan

An Ok week. Second run in New York on Wednesday morning. A steady 9 miles into downtown New York and thn around the bottoms of Manhattan. Shame about the very thick fog, and icy paths :( Had the Box hill Fell Race on Saturday. 7.5 miles of hilly South Downs muddy trails. Completed in 1h16, and walked most hills and trotted the flats. Not a good day, and very sore calfs from Sunday.

Week ending 11th Jan

Not a good week. Aborted a 5 mile tempo run on Tuesday with a cold after 2 miles. Had a planned trip to New York for a big business trip and felt tired all week so left things without exercise. Flew to New York on Saturday and felt better so did a 11.8 miles from our hotel in Grammercy, up Broadway, through Time Square, around central park, and then down 5th Avenue and then to the East River before back to the hotel. What a run!

Week ending 4th Jan

Happy New Year to the blog. A solid weeks running. 10 mile steady on the road felt hard in 1h17 14 miles steady on the trail felt hard in 1h52 8 miles easy on the trail. 30 minutes bike and cross trainer with weights. 32 miles for the week.