It is still terribly warm, but I hydrated properly this morning and managed a decent workout without feeling nearly as bad as I have during some leisurely long runs recently. 8 minute pace felt fairly comfortable considering I've been mostly plodding along at 9:xx for over a week now, but the 0.5 thresholds of 7.00-7.30 weren't quite so enjoyable - but I guess that's the way its meant to be.
Today's run was horrible - probably my worst training run yet. Its unusually hot in the UK just now and me + running + heat just don't seem to mix, as I found out during the Edinburg marathon last month.
The first ten miles were OK today but after that I just wilted under the sun and bailed out 2 miles short of my scheduled distance because I was feeling so bad. It didn't help that I'd forgotten to buy my usual sports drink to carry with me on my long run and I was definitely dehydrated by the end.
Week's review Tuesday - 7 miles Wednesday - 11 miles Thursday - 5.5 miles Friday - 10 miles Saturday - 4.5 miles Sunday - rest Monday - 14 miles Total - 52 miles ( a couple short of the schedule but my longest week ever - by 1 mile...)
We're still going through a summer heatwave here in Edinburgh, although thankfully it has been cloudy in the morning during my last couple of runs.
Thursday - 5.5 miles easy pace.
Friday - 10 miles with 3 miles threshold (it should have been 4 but my Garmin started playing up - cutting miles short - and that was enough for me to bail and take it easy home)
The top of my left hip is still tender - ignoring it hasn't done any good so I'll try some gentle stretching next.
Its roasting in Edinburgh just now - the hottest we've had it in a while. Even though I'm doing my runs in the early morning , the heat is still a factor.
Tuesday's run was 7 easy miles - circa 9.15s Today's run was 11 similar miles.
My standard pace (i.e. when the schedule doesn't call for anything special) has slowed quite noticeably over the last week or so since I did my fast 10k. I think there's a number of reasons for this. I have a tender left hip abductor (at least that's what I think it is as its not something I've really had before). (I think that in turn has been caused by my getting off the road and onto a trail route (which is great) which has a lot of uneven stones in paces.) Having a tight hip abductor is not conducive to wanting to go fast. Its also been crazy hot, and my mileage is getting back up to the max of what I've done before. Anyway, the decrease in pace isn't bothering me too much at the moment and I think its as well to just ride it out until I feel a bit fresher. I've a 4 mile threshold on Friday which ought to blow away the cobwebs anyway.
Knee report - its still there; it still twinges once or twice each run; but its not getting noticeable worse.
Monday: 11-a-side football (I'll claim a mile) Tuesday: 6.5 miles (6 miles@7:34s - hard but enjoyable) Wednesday: football training (I'll claim a mile) Thursday: 7 miles easy (circa 9 minute miles) Friday: 8.5 miles (6@8 mins - legs still tired from Tuesday) Saturday: 4.5 miles (easy - no watch) Sunday: 12 miles (very easy - 9:00-9:30s - toiled in the sun) Total: 40.5 miles (a mile short of the schedule, but I can live with that).
I really enjoyed Tuesday's run - my pace was virtually identical to what I did my 10k in May in, and there was still a bit left in the tank. so that bodes well for the future. But it did take its toll, and my legs have been a little stiff in places all week. I'm sure that's not been helped by the football over the past couple of weeks.
This week things start to pick up and I head back into the 50s.
Its roasting here. I've got a tan without even trying.
10 easy miles this morning, trying to do 9 minute miles (which is about 15 seconds a mile slower than my target marathon pace). It was a decent morning for running, but maybe just a little on the warm side for my liking. I started to feel a little tired in the last couple of miles, which I wasn't really expecting, and I think that is probably just a consequence of playing football on Friday.
My knee was fine for most of the run, but I did feel a few twinges along the way. Its difficult to explain - its not pain as such, but a feeling of a tendon being inflamed on the lower outside of my right knee. The sensation is not dissimilar to what I used to get when I played a lot of golf as a youngster. The righthand bone on my right wrist would swell up after hours hitting golfballs on the range. Anyway, so long as there's no serious pain I'll just carry on - icing, ibuprofen and getting off the concrete are my recipe to trying to keep it under control.
1 - 8:48 2 - 8:49 3 - 9:00 4 - 9:01 5 - 9:09 6 - 8:59 7 - 9:02 8 - 8:53 9 - 8:49 10 - 8:29 (a short threshold burst to finish off the run)
Summary for the week Monday - 90 minutes 11-a-side football (I'll claim a mile) Tuesday - 4.5 miles Wednesday - rest Thursday - 4.5 miles Friday - 60 minutes 5-a-side football (I'll claim a mile) Saturday - 7 miles Sunday - 10 miles Total - 28 miles
Tonight's run turned into a steady effort which was a little surpising as I'd played football the previous evening (for which I will claim a mile) and my legs were feeling a little tight. Nothing much to report, apart from the fact that I currently have no real niggles, but I'm still not running as smoothly as I'd like.
7 miles this morning, which I managed to get in before the heavens opened, at an easy pace with a couple of short threshold bursts thrown in at the end to relieve the boredom. That's the most consistent mile splits I've ever run I think, and that was without paying much attention to my watch.
Monday - 4.5 miles Tuesday - rest Wednesday - 5 miles Thursday - football (I'll claim a mile) Friday - 4.5 miles Saturday - 5 miles Sunday - 7 miles Total: 27 miles
Next week's schedule calls for more of the same, with the mileage increasing slightly to a planned 32.
5 slow miles this morning, all on grass. Easy, at least, in relation to the pace. It was already scorching at 7.30 this morning and although I've found a handly mile loop on grass near where I stay it does include about a third of a mile which is a steady incline. So while my pace was deliberately slow, I still ended up sweating more than I normally do. I expect the following is a familiar feeling, but in many ways I find my slow pace (9 min miles) to be harder than my steady/easy pace (8:00/8:30 min miles).
Big day today. Every 2 years for a period of about 2 weeks I live in dread of England progressing and, god help us all, actually winning the Euro Championships or the World Cup. Now, where's my Portgual scarf...
