Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 February 2004 21:39:51
tuesday was a lethargic day off, i usually appreciate my rest days but with the current business at work i could have done with stepping out for a while. looks like i'll be off to germany for a day on monday as deadlines are looming for next friday, not ideal pre-race but bearable. i'd rather be off to sweden with my colleague as we've become accustomed to doing at this time of year, although i blame months of sub-zero temperatures for screwing up my marathon training plans at a crucial stage the last couple of years.
anyway, wednesday was a quick blast round the block. i was strangely dissappointed that it wasnt raining when i stepped out the door but it was very blustery on the way round. my mind builds up the following mantra as i run:
wind & rain against me
mind and will behind
i'll not stop
i'm reducing my target mileage for these two weeks in preparation for the race so making sure the shorter sessions i do do are still hard work.
[wednesdays run 3.5miles 25:57 7:25min/mile]
on thursday i thought i'd best go try out the gym's new running group partly to support the initiative which i strongly approve of and partly to give myself a reason to go out running, which has been lacking lately.
considering it would take me 20minutes to get to the gym & get changed, and about 15minutes to run there. having made dinner (but not eaten it!), i decide to run there.
i am surprised and encouraged at the number of people loitering in running gear, i'm equally impressed with the number of women. i sign in and get a quick interrogation on my running and what kind of pace i expect, to be honest i'm not too worried 7,8...9? min/mile i offer and am immediately aligned with the fast group of about 4 guys and an instructor.
they advertise a 5mile race at draycote water in march (i might yet do it) and i listen in on the small talk about the 35mile race i'm doing there a week on sunday... '7 laps..? how boring' ...i keep quiet.
the instructor has been asked to help out for the first time this week and doesnt seem to know the route we're doing, he implies he knows lots of routes that we wouldn't like to do (try me.. i think to myself).
after a while one of the guys has dropped back and the instructor moves back to join him, i hang on to the other two who seem to know where they're going and we carry on at what i find a fairly easy pace. the distance is a claimed 3 miles, either it was further or slower than i expected.
it's not exactly a very 'social' run but then blokes aren't really like that, i might have had a more social time if i'd have hung back with the slower group. i say my farewells and set off to run home again.
dinner was good :) finally... and i'm now sat here with ice on my shin as a mostly precautionary measure.
home->gym 2miles 15:16
@ gym 7:58
gym -> gym 3.24miles 25:02
@gym 2:32
gym->home 2miles 15:34
[todays run 7.24miles 55:52]
[this weeks run total: 10.74miles]