T 8 miles HA (6:51mm), 6.5 miles (7:19mm)
W 9.5 miles Fartlek (5:56mm)
T 6 miles (7:16mm)
F 5 miles (6:59mm)
S 3 miles (7:22mm)
S 10 mins early AM (8:34mm), 15 miles including Stockport 10
Total 65 miles (6:37mm)
Aerobic efficiency 971 beats per mile Vs 969 beats per mile
So a reduced week of miles this week as I wanted to be a bit fresher for the Stockport 10 on Sunday. That said I still did a decent amount of volume with a good session on Wednesday before cutting the mileage significantly. In hindsight I probably didn't cut the mileage as much as I should in order to be at my freshest but Ribble Valley is the main target at the moment, and I will take a proper taper for that.
The session on Wednesday was 2X1mile, 3X1/2mile and then 8X100m strides. I did it on the treadmill as it was still pretty icy outside when I came to do the session. I felt in control but it possibly was a little too much the week of a race.
We were lucky in that we had pretty much perfect weather for Sunday's race and I felt good and ready to go despite a busy day previously with my daughter Mia's 5th birthday party. I was confident of having a go at trying to break my PB despite it being known as a tough course. Off we went and The pace was quick from the outset but it felt OK so I went with it. As we went through the first mile with me sat in fourth at 5:01 I realised that it may be a tad quick so tried to ease back a little but the legs kept going! Mark Offord joined me and we ran together (through 3 flat miles in 15:21 - not far off my 5k pace!) until five miles when he started to pull away up a big hill. As we reached the top I was really starting to struggle and my legs didn't feel that happy at all! Luckily there was still a target to focus on in the shape of Jack Nixon of Stockport who I could see was slowing a bit. I carried on working but was suddenly overtaken by Chris Arthur of Blackburn. I kept my head down and focused on trying to reel Jack in. And on a downhill stretch I managed to catch him and move straight past. From here it was just about getting to the end. There's a really testing hill between 8.5-9.2 miles which is when you least need it and although I was working hard to try and bridge the gap to Mark Offord, he was too strong for me so I decided to rein it in a little for the last bit knowing that a PB was out of the question. I crossed the line in 5th place in a time of 53:41 which considering the course was not bad especially given I almost certainly went off too quick. Sometimes it's worth it though to find out what sort of shape you're in but I will certainly be a little more conservative at the Ribble Valley.
Last 1/2 mile at Stockport. Photo credit: Alan Williams
I decided not to track my weight this week as I didn't want too many OCD distractions! I was pleased in that I managed to continue to eat healthily and certainly felt well fuelled for the run given I moved to proportionally more carbohydrates the two days before the race. I'm conscious that I probably do need to get a bit leaner (I really notice it on the hills - but then it does help with the downhills!), but also cognisant of the fact that I need to eat enough to fuel my training. Given London is the main target I think perhaps I will just try and be a little more relaxed about my weight at the moment. I cant be super skinny all year round but will make a big effort to get to around race weight for when the specific phase starts.
This week I'll be getting back to some decent miles and all being well should go past the 4,000miles for the year on Tuesday. I also plan to get my first XC session in on Thursday, providing the legs are back to normal.
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