18 carat...Kilometres

Took a differnt route that I'd spotted when we were out looking at potential new houses the other night. It's a road I've cycled before on my mountain bike and its hilly at the start for first 4K then flat for 7K then down againt for 4K then flat home. I thought it looked good for a long running session.

Very cool here today with a cold westerly wind so long sleeve shirt and training top underneath. Saw quite a few people out running.

Finished in 1:52:12 and although I was very tired in the legs and shoulders I could have ran on and certainly no issues with respiration. Quite pleased that after only 2 weeks of training I've clocked off an 18K run.

18K and knocked out

Saturday morning and Team Kennedy manager bashed out another 10K and is goading me to get out there.....I slip on my trainers and sneak out for a cheeky 18K.....That'll teach her.

I'm 24:30 for 5K and while a little breathless at the top of the hill I'm OK and the time is a good pace for 18K for me. At about the 8K mark I'm starting to feel a bit weak. I know that as it was unplanned training session that I haven't really eaten or drank enough in the morning.

Two bits of toast and a cup of tea is just not the right start. At 11K I'm at 1hr 01 minute and my head is spinning and legs feel like jelly. I could stop and just throw up right on the site of Napoleon's greatest defeat if my stomach wasn't empty.

I just keep running and luckily there is no wind so I'm just fighting gravity all the way down the N5. At 14K I get a bit of a second wind but only in my legs, my head is still out of it. I have to crawl up the last hill with 1K to go and my legs are very heavy and all my joints feel like they are rusty so it takes enormous efforts just to move my limbs.

I finish in 1:40:01 and I'm really dying....totally wiped out. Legs killing me, head thumping and heart rate soaring. Quick drink , shower and bed for an hour....Sunday I was sore all over and blanked it all out using paracetamol and a couple of glasses of vin rouge.

18 carat 18K

Big run due as I've been doing mostly 10K's and also I had a very lazy week this week so I needed to make amends. Cool day at about 6C with a little wind from the East. First 5K was 25:10 and it was at a pace that recognised I was going longer. I was OK at the top of the Hedgehog and continued onto Ohain and the next hill.

My left thigh felt a bit stiff for the next 3-4K but it eventually eased or was replaced by knee pain. At the 11K timing point at Butte Du Lion I'm there in 59:20 and was really happy I'd dipped under the hour mark for the first time this year.

This spurred me on and I tried to concentrate on keeping the pace up and soon enough I was at the farm turn back to Lasne around 2:18 which I knew was close to my best for the year at this point.

I kept trying to keep the pace going and I felt great on the flats and uphill sections. As ever the downhill sections give me problems. The final climb up the last steep hill was difficult but I felt great cardio wise and was only carrying some tiredness in my legs. I decided to kick for the end with about 800M to go and kept a really quick pace up all the way to the end. I think the shorter faster training has helped my ability to up the pace a bit. I finished in 1:35:40 which is the quickest time for that route for me this year.

I was really puffing at the finish and after a shower and a drink I had a wee 40 winks rest on the couch watching Fabian Cancellara burst a gut and scoop the Paris-Roubaix after taking Tour de Flanders last week.It wasn't as exciting as last year but he is just in a league of his own at the moment. Boonen didn't have an answer to the sprint with just 50K to go.

We're out for dinner tonight and I think I deserve it after a great shift. Weight after the run is back at 76.3KG and was 76.6KG pre run.