Weekly review (the storm before the calm)

The last week was a build up to the huge event: my first attempt at a 12 mile run on Sunday. I would only take this on if I felt I was ready, so needed some good sessions beforehand to convince myself. I'm sure it would've made the news had a certain Usain Bolt not stolen my thunder.

It was a packed week of training, but much of this took place in the gym. I recently ranted about my distaste for the gym environment, but must confess that it is ever so slowly growing on me. I think it's due to the influence of Zil, who continues to push me to higher standards. I'm making reasonable progress and am looking like less of an idiot with every session. I would still be unwilling to do these sessions alone but for now they are tolerable with company.

Back to the roads and it was a similar routine to the week before; hill training on Tuesday and a 10k tempo run on Thursday. As suggested last week, I extended my usual uphill run and finally took on the added challenge of nailing it up Shotover Kilns. Not half as bad as I expected, but the prospect of running uphill in the climax of Birmingham remains daunting. This is where my legs feel weakest and lungs feel smallest, but fortunately most of the route will be flat. More swimming on Wednesday and I am slowly rediscovering the art of front crawl. I hope that before long this will be dominating my sessions rather than breast stroke, as it taxes my heart far more effectively. I must be annoying to swim alongside as I splash like no man's business.

Thursday's 10k run was supposed to be a showdown with top athlete Dave Langer, but had to be rescheduled to this week. Instead, I embarked on a familiar run, to compare it to previous performances. It took a real effort to begin with given it was my first morning run in a while. I'll need to get used to this since the race itself will be a 10am start. Once I'd hit my stride, it was a familiar process and the time of day seemed barely relevant. I pushed myself hard in a bid to chase down my previous time of 49:15. I was delayed at times by idiotic pedestrians with the inability to step aside, as if they expect me to run right through them. Maybe next time I'll try to do just that. Anyway, despite these setbacks I came through in 49:45. Somewhat shy of my PB, but well within the treasured 50min barrier, so I was happy enough.

I feel I can't really express myself over 10k. My training has been geared towards endurance rather than speed and even though a sub 50min time is much better than I could dream of months ago, it's nothing that will raise eyebrows. On the other hand, once I've passed the 5-6 mile mark I am able to maintain a decent speed for some time; a feat I think most people would struggle to achieve without proper training. It was time to really put this to the test on Sunday; could I complete a 12 mile run whilst maintaining a decent speed throughout?

With the gym sessions to add to the mix, including an impressive workout on Sunday morning, I was confident enough to take on a longer run. On the other hand, my asthma (more on this another time) has been playing up in recent days and my left leg was in far from ideal condition. Still, with my usual 2 puffs of inhaler and leg strapping, I deemed it safe to give it a shot. Worse case scenario, I'd turn around a few miles in and still have had a decent run. For the first time in months, I took my inhaler with me just in case. Fortunately, neither the inhaler nor a premature exit were needed. My breathing was perfectly fine, although my right leg gave me some problems early on. My right leg. which has given me little to no problems until now. The pain was mild enough for me to carry on, but if it increased I'd have to stop short. It soon subsided however and hasn't returned in the 24 hours since, so for now I'll assume it was nothing more than a small bout of road fatigue. I'll be spending less time on the roads in the coming weeks, so am not too concerned about these expected small pains.

At around the 6 mile barrier, I decided to take on the whole route. This involved a 2 mile run up to St Anne's, my home for the first four years in Oxford, followed by another mile up to Summertown, to my 5th year accommodation. As I swept past these landmarks nostalgia crept in, but I soon remembered my current flat, also the endpoint of the route, is by far the best place I've lived in whilst at Oxford. So I legged it home. I sped up slightly in the last 2 miles, but knew I'd pay the price the next day. Still, the pains were now from tiredness; the best kind. I felt shattered after 12 miles, despite observing a steady pace for much of the run. I feel that in the time I have left to train and with the added motivation and adrenalin on the day, where I'll have little concern for short term injury, I'll be able to inject more pace. So a time just shy of 1hr 44min for 12 miles is pleasing. Not least because it was my first attempt at this distance and I completed it with very few breaks, but also because it puts me in prime position to hit the sub 2 hour mark. I think sub 1hr 50min is reasonable at this stage.

I spent much of today recovering from that epic run yesterday. I was far from limping, but slowly trudged towards my weekly supervision. Perhaps Monday morning isn't the best time to see my boss, given the exertions of the previous evening. Anyway, it was a wonderful feeling to have, knowing that my legs were tired but healthy after my longest run yet. I look forward to October 12th; the day after the race. Hopefully I'll be feeling even more victorious the.

With Ramadhan starting this week, there will be a shift in emphasis. I have 8 weeks until race day, but my training schedule only has 4 weeks remaining. Thus, I can afford to spend some time just maintainingg fitness levels and relieving my legs of continuous road action. I intend to run twice weekly for the next fortnight, but to incorporate an extra swim session per week as well as some indoor cycling. I hope to have a machine in the flat by the end of the week. It should be a welcome reduction to pace, but I'll no doubt be itching for those long runs soon enough.

I'll be meeting Dave for a 10k run on Wednesday. Hopefully I'll have recovered enough by then to offer a decent showing, in what will be my last road race in the light for the next month or so.