Consolidation

I've been on a training course all day. So essentially stuck in front of a PC and reading a big manual, spending most of the day static on my backside isn't the best preparation for a running session. I'd eaten enough but was probably short on fluids as I'd just been cramming down expresso coffee and fruit smoothies and they both make you need more water. Despite knowing all this and understanding what it meant I still went out without taking any extra fluid on.

I'd set my watch speed alarm to keep me between 6:00 min per km and 4:15min per km. This is a wide enough band that should mean it rarely triggers even on hills and on the fast side it keeps me to within 15 seconds per km of my fastest 10K average speed.

I set out with an easy 18K in mind and specifically said to Team Kennedy manager "no new Personal Best tonight". The first 5K flashed by in 24 minutes so a bit quicker than my PB from earlier in the week.

After the drop into Ohain there is an uphill section about 400m long, I took this on at quite a quick pace and at the end it drops through the village and takes you to about the 6K mark. I overcooked this part by going too fast and lost some of my rhythm as a result. I'd confused my thinking a bit by getting caught between my original plan of easy 18K and then seeing 5k come off quick and feeling alright. I pulled back the pace a bit and seemed to lose my concentration for about 10 minutes. I felt my foot again getting sore and my legs felt very heavy. I knew that I was hurting myself at this point with little or no likelihood of any benefit to my race next week. I decided then to cut it short and take a differnt route back. I walked for a couple of minutes to reset everything then started running again.

Getting going again was hard but after 5 minutes I'd warmed back up and was in a bit of a routine, hardly 'In the zone' but at least moving. I climbed a hilly section mostly through mud and sand on a small track that had recently been washed away and is still awaiting repair. This made for uneven pace setting but probably good for my balance.

I got back for just over 12K in 1:04. I certainly noticed that as I was running a slow pace effort wise just to get home that on my watch it wasn't too bad a speed wise around the 5:00 to 5:15 per km mark. I think my recent faster paced runs have upped my perception and capabilities to keep a higher average pace.

I need to see how I feel but I think just one more pacy 18K run this weekend and a few shorter faster runs either side and I think I'm finished. I'll stop running on Wednesday or Thursday depending on how I feel. Anything towards the end of the week will be short leg stretchers rather than looking to add to my fitness. I know I get a good bit of reserve strength by taking a few days off training after I've been doing a lot of miles.