Week 10 - Biggest week ever !

Sunday – Marathon – 42.23 km, 3:02:18, avg 4:19 km pace
Monday – Medium run – 27.63 km, 1:58:14, avg 4:17 km pace
Tuesday – Warmup + intervals (5 mins on, 30 sec off, 1 min on, 1:30 off) by 4, 21.62 km, 1:34:00.  Avg 5 min interval pace: 3:35, Avg 1 min interval pace 3:20.
Wednesday – Medium run – 28.61km, 2:01:24, avg 4:15 km pace
Thursday – Tempo Talking run – 20.32km, 1:26:59, avg 4:17 km pace
Friday - Hill Session - 21.84km, 1:35:49, avg 4:10 Hill Laps.
Saturday - Easy run to 5k -22.15km,  1:40:07, avg 4:31.
Saturday - 5k race, 18:14, avg 03:40 km pace.

Total: 189.37km (117 miles), 13:36:40, avg 4:19 km pace.

When I head out for my long runs I don’t always decide before how far I’m going to go.  So on Sunday I head out and feel ok into the head wind, I decide to take a different route back home to try to make best use of the wind.  I get back near my house in about 37k, so decide to do a few laps on a flatish 1.3km loop to see how I feel.  This was good as it avoided long period of running into the wind and then long periods of being pushed along by it.  I was quite happy doing these loops and had 4 wine gums to help pass the time.   So it ended up as a full marathon, with a faster second half when the wind helped out.  Most trainers don’t advocate full marathon distances in training for very good reasons.  I’m lucky that I seem to be able to do long runs and not have to take time out to recover.

Monday was a good run albeit in the cold rain.  Legs felt ok after the previous days marathon, but I could tell they had been hard worked.  Legs felt better in the second half.

Legs felt a bit used on the warmup for intervals, but after the first intervals got under way they felt normal.   I enjoyed the long 5 minute intervals, I moved through the group of fellow runners as the interval progressed.  I tagged onto a much faster runner who is a traditionally slow starter (to prevent himself getting injured) and as he got up to speed I was able to keep in my sights.  Finished 2nd back out of  the 20 or so runners.

Wednesday was running in good conditions for me, cold to start but quickly warmed up and didn’t over heat.  I held a good pace into the wind for the first half and hammered it on the way back with 6 of the 7 last km at sub 4:10 km pace.

Thursday was the tempo talking run, but a minute faster than last time.  Its encouraging being able to run fast whilst being able to manage a conversation with a few grunts..

Friday, good hill run session on my own.  Near to a PB but not quite.

Saturday - Took it easy running into the wind to the local park run.  Was cold and tired by the time I arrived, took a gel and felt a bit better.   Then a 5k after 10 minutes rest.  As usual the guys around me were fast starting and one guy pulled away to win in a low 16 minute 5k.  I pick them off one by one to come in second.

So a great weeks training, managing a 5k pb at the end of it (weekly miles 114 to 117).  Can I maintain this sort of volume and speed throughout March ?