The Final Freedom Week

This week has felt a bit like a final week of relative freedom, with more focused training for my next big running goal starting on Monday. With this in mind, I have simply enjoyed running what I have wanted and according to how I have been feeling - it has been nice!

MONDAY: Strength and Conditioning for Runners followed by Body Pump.

TUESDAY: a steady 5 miles with a hilly test thrown in at the start just to add a bit of variation and challenge!

WEDNESDAY: despite the weather significantly improving from last week’s rainfall, the river path I like to run on during Summer was still flooded, so this morning’s 4 miles consisted of a few laps up and down the section that was passable on the pathway. I did not mind this repetition, and it meant I could try a couple of faster miles, with the run resembling more of a short tempo run by the end.  

THURSDAY: my morning run was another instance of where I made up the challenge as I went along, starting steadily, throwing a couple of faster miles in, and then finishing with some steep hills. I ran 4 miles in total and then later on a further 3.36 (to be precise!) miles at Run Club. One of my fellow Run Leaders had planned an orienteering challenge for us working in small teams. It was great fun and my competitive side definitely came out a little bit!

FRIDAY: Rest Day

SATURDAY: this week’s parkrun was hard work (see image), with the small positive being that even though it felt a lot tougher than last week, I ran exactly the same time. The main issues this week was my breathing. It was just not right from the start, and I actually felt like I needed to stop at one point just to catch my breath and try clam down. If I am being honest my breathing has not been perfect since I lost my voice a few weeks ago. The same thing happened to me last year the first time I lost my voice, and after suffering a bit, I was given an inhaler to use for a few weeks. This helped me, and I feel I now need to investigate using one again, especially with the weather getting warmer.
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SUNDAY: on a pleasant summer’s morning I really enjoyed a steady 10 mile loop taking in some paths I had not ran on for a few weeks. I actually found my inhaler from last year before the run and took it before leaving the house. It definitely helped me, and this confirmed in my head that I need to get myself sorted again, especially with my next cycle of training on the very imminent horizon…