Week 3: 2nd - 8th January

M  6.19 miles recovery (7:24mm avge)
T  10.02 miles including 5 miles @ 5:40mm (6:25 avge)
W  15.08 miles progressive (6:39mm avge)
T  6.20 miles easy (6:59mm avge)
F  10.0 miles general aerobic (6:57mm avge)
S  9.16 miles, including 7.1 miles @ 5:42mm XC (6:12mm avge)
S  16.54 miles general aerobic multi terrain run (7:07mm avge)

Total  73.19 miles (6:47mm avge)

The three runs of note this week are Tuesday's Lactate threshold session which was quite literally hilarious. As you will know most of Britain was suffering from very stormy weather and even in the 'sunshine town' of the UK, Orpington was experiencing some Biblical conditions. I was pleased with the run, firstly for getting out there when it would have been very much easier to stay in bed hearing the 60mph gusts going past my window! And secondly for managing some decent miles at a fairly consistent tempo effort. The pace however was very up and down, and depending on what direction I was going was as slow as 6:20mm and as quick as 5:10mm!

Wednesday's run was a very pleasing progressive run which shows I'm starting to get into shape. This was a run to the City and so although net downhill (hence the pace being a bit flattering) it was nice to be running this strongly so soon after Tuesday's hard effort.

On Saturday I raced the Kent County XC Championships with the link to the race below. It has to be said that there's nothing like a County Cross Country to bring one down to earth and remind how actually average you are in the grand scheme of things. Not that I was expecting to win anything, but the only thing I 'won' was the lovely blood blister to the right. I worked very hard and moved through the field on the last couple of laps from about 30th up to 21st and then was outkicked by a V50 and a V40 with 150 metres to go to finish 23rd. The V50 was a former UK bronze medallist at the 1,500m (in 1988) but still I should be able to outkick someone over 20 years older! I'm trying to take the positives from it and struggling to find many to be honest. Perhaps my heart wasn't in the race, I wasn't fresh, was particularly tired after a busy work/home week and I didn't want it bad enough. Although I felt strong I just didn't feel sharp at all. A pleasing thing was that I did manage to beat a couple of 2:30:xx and a 2:31:xx marathon runners so perhaps it wasn't too bad after all, especially considering where I am in the build up and that I didn't taper for it at all. If it did one thing though was 'stoked the fire' a bit and has made me very motivated to get better. There were people in front that I should be closer to/in front of.

Sunday's run was a very pleasant easier and shorter long run across a mixed terrain route with plenty of bumps. The legs felt pretty good too.

I do have a confession to make though - I have only done two stretching sessions this week and no core or strength work. Really must try harder!