London Marathon Training
Week 7, Day 3
I decided to take in my local parkrun today. I didn’t intend to do it as such but I needed to go into town this morning anyway so seeing as I was going to be close I thought I might as well go to the event, so it was on with the running gear instead of my normal *cough* high end tailored attire (jeans/t-shirt!).
I’m glad I did now.
There seemed to be a bigger than usual crowd there, although a lot of these were the C25K people who wouldn’t be taking part in the actual race … so there was still a chance I could come last, my big fear.
But I needn’t have worried. It’s always a well organised event so I’m pretty sure there was a tailrunner there but, for the first time for me, I didn’t actually see one out on the course.
Once, in the past, a delightful tailrunner lady effectively kicked my ass all the way around the course. I was moaning and complaining like a big baby but she wouldn’t let me give up.
However, as I said, I didn’t have that issue today. Not that I was mega fast, mind you, but I was fast enough to keep the tail from my line of vision.
As usual I run in kilometres, so when my first split came in a lot faster than it normally does I was delighted, if not a little wary that I’d blown up too early … however km2 was also fast and it was at that point I knew I was in with a shout of a time that’d please me – not an easy thing to do seeing as I’m my own worst critic. Even the people that despise me couldn’t hold a candle to my own self loathing but I digress.
I couldn’t quite maintain that pace so I slowed a little in the middle part of the course, but only a little because I picked it up considerably over the final kilometre, although I had nothing left for a sprint in the final 200 yards – but I gave it everything I had so I can’t complain … and I wasn’t last man over the line either, it’s not often that happens!
Timewise I’m not sure what I did yet. The event laptop is playing up at the minute so there’s a delay in the official results but I know from my Garmin that, whilst it’s not a parkrun PB, I did set a new best time for my watch.
It was a pleasing morning out, maybe my intervals on Thursday night had the desired effect, maybe it’s just another indication that I’m getting stronger. Who knows, but I’ll take it.
Edit: just got my time – 35:45, a minute over my PB but my second fastest yet, and three minutes quicker than my last outing.
London Marathon Training (100.4 miles – 25 runs)
Week 1 – 12.2 miles (4 runs; average 3.05 miles per run)
Week 2 – 9.3 miles (2 runs; average 4.65 miles per run)
Week 3 – 17.7 miles (4 runs; average 4.4 miles per run)
Week 4 – 18.8 miles (4 runs; average 4.7 miles per run)
Week 5 – 14.9 miles (4 runs; average 3.7 miles per run)
Week 6 – 18.7 miles (4 runs; average 4.7 miles per run)
Week 7 – 8.8 miles (3 runs; average 2.9 miles per run)
HUFF, PUFF AND SHUFFLE 