The Ramadhan Diaries (part 3)

Less than a week to go until Ramadhan ends. It really has flown past this year and the fasts themselves are now so familiar that it may actually be difficult to adapt to my usual routine next week. I had always planned to hit my peak in training by the end of Ramadhan and thankfully I've stayed fit enough to do so.

I was in Coventry all of last week and spent most days on our treadmill. It has a steep incline and is far more suited to a brisk walking pace rather than a run. This is helpful for two reasons; first it doesn't impact so badly on the knees. When running on the road, the knee absorbs the impact of twice one's body weight with every stride. The conveyor belt on the treadmill absorbs much of this and, particularly at walking pace, provides a welcome relief to the pounding stress of the roads. Not only this, but the incline offers a simple setting for some hill training. I've taken on gruelling fartlek and interval sessions, all with the same purpose: to work the lungs and build calf muscles. My legs certainly feel stronger than a month ago and seem able to recover from longer runs a lot more efficiently.

On Thursday I took to the roads for a 5 mile run. It was a simple enough exercise; five times around the block at race pace to see if I could maintain an 8 minute per mile pace. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself making light work of this; coming through in 39 minutes and suggesting that I could perhaps raise my ambitions slightly for the half marathon. In any case, it seems that my 10k target of 45 minutes may not be too far off, since this was far from my quickest pace. The big test would be Sunday; my second attempt at a 12 mile run, but this time with more emphasis on speed.

As always, the opening miles were the toughest. A balance is needed between a quick start and conserving one's energy for later miles. My concern in previous long runs was how my speed declined after the opening few miles; perhaps I was being too cautious and should try pushing the needle just a little more. At the end of mile four, I was maintaining the 8 minute per mile pace. Job done, so far. But now my legs were feeling it; eight miles to go and already I was ready to collapse! Still, patience is key and I had to trust that my legs would adapt before long. Thankfully they did and now I was hitting my stride; getting to 7 miles within 57 minutes. So here I was, 5 miles to go and ready to attack like hell. The 1hr 40min mark was well in sight, even if I relaxed slightly. My mind was telling me to take it down a notch but my body was not in sync, instead pushing it further. Again, I found that my last miles were some of my quickest. It was never completely comfortable, but by the time I'd hit 9 miles the rest seemed a formality. Then it happened; something which I'd been warned about in every training guide I'd read but which I had managed to avoid for over four months: I got a stitch. Fortunately, it wasn't major enough to stop me and given how late in the run it was, it was easy enough to overcome the pain. Still, a welcome reminder that there are so many minute details that can define one's race. I came through in around 97 minutes; virtually maintaining the 8 minute per mile pace from start to finish. Easily my best run yet and it showed. I was absolutely knackered after; even the warm down was an effort. This was the good type of knackered though, I'd pushed myself more than ever before. For the first time, a time of 1hr 45min is plausible and a 1hr 50min time is expected.

The main challenge in the remaining four weeks is to avoid injury whilst maintaining my peak form. A tough balance to strike, but from next week I'll have access to the softer terrain of the university parks as well as treadmills. Though not my favourite forms of training, they'll at least keep my legs in good shape whilst giving me an honest workout.