The Week Consistency Was Key

This week has been a bit of a mix in terms of running, maybe a reflection on the mixture of emotions I have also felt personally this week. The consistency of running in my life remains key though; I think I shocked a lady I was chatting to at parkrun on Saturday when she asked how many times I run and train a week even when I do not have a race I am particularly focusing on. 'Its my life' I think I said to her, 'I am lost without it'. Her response was simply - 'good for you'. 

MONDAY: I was faced with the box jump again today in Strength and Conditioning after my slight falling out with the piece of equipment last week! With the support and encouragement from my fellow class attendees I managed to put my fears behind me and complete some plyo jumps - I definitely would not have done this alone! 

TUESDAY: aside from box jumps, last night's Strength and Conditioning class also featured some sprinting exercises and I could feel the exertion in my legs as I began this morning's run. I was tired and did not even need to tell myself to keep this run easy paced; logging a gentle 5 miles. I nearly did not go to my Body Pump class in the evening as I just felt a little bit lacklustre still, but I dragged myself there as I figured it would mentally make myself feel better - and it did. 

WEDNESDAY: after taking it easier on my run yesterday, today I felt refreshed and even in swirling wind and rain I kept good pace for 5 miles, averaging just over 8 min/mile pace. I think this reminded me the importance of easy runs being part of my running regime still; I find it more logical to do when I am in 'training mode', but with the amount of miles I still do in what I guess you could call 'off season', easy sessions still have great value.

THURSDAY: my body felt a bit tired again today, with some tightness in my muscles, so I kept my run to a brief 4 miles, with a Body Pump class in the evening.

FRIDAY: Rest Day

SATURDAY: on a beautiful Autumn morning I headed to Lincoln parkrun - where else! There was a fabulous turn out of 478 people taking part, and I enjoyed catching up with familiar faces. My run was not so great, I just did not get into my stride at the start and it felt like I was running unnaturally, with a stitch then threatening to form as I tried to keep some pace. It was not pretty, but I stuck at it to finish in 21:39 (see image). After a good parkrun last week I was a little disappointed at the contrast in my performance, however looking around at the hundreds of people enjoying their Saturday morning, as ever it is always hard to let the time bother you too much outside of those few seconds of post run reflection in the finish funnel!

SUNDAY: 10 miles appears to be my distance right now, and today marked another consistent longer run, with a near 8 min/mile pace held throughout. I feel more powerful over 10 miles than I do on a 5k at the moment - which as a marathon runner I probably should feel pleased about! I think I was especially satisfied with today's run as I set off with the notion that I may feel like taking things a bit steadier after a bit of fatigue during the week, however this seemed to still be a comfortable zone for me. How I wish I could keep this pace up over 26.2 miles! Never say never... ​