Week beginning 4 July

Nose back to the grindstone this week: just short of 43 miles covered, with a bit of swimming thrown in for good measure. Sluggish at times; more spritely at others. Looked like I'd been in the wars by Sunday evening!

Highlights of the week:

- Highest-mileage week to date
- Averaged target 10k pace over a 4-mile run without initially intending to - gotta be a good sign!
- Felt fresher than ever on an 8-mile marathon-pace run

- Spent Sunday's LSR discovering new footpaths. Just call me Columbus.


Monday

3-mile recovery run

Distance: 2.93 miles
Avg pace: 8m 56s / mile
Avg HR: 137 bpm


Tuesday

A sluggish 8-miler first thing in the morning. Barely got under 8-minute mile pace until halfway through. But it's all miles under the belt ;-)

Distance: 7.98 miles
Avg pace: 7m 41s / mile
Avg HR: 151 bpm


Wednesday

AM: 1km swim (getting a bit quicker: 40 lengths in 26 minutes, but still swimming breast stroke like an old woman).

PM: 4-mile easy run. Plenty in the tank this time. Felt pretty fresh.

Distance: 4.00 miles
Avg pace: 8m 30s / mile
Avg HR: 139 bpm

Thursday

What was supposed to be a 5-mile tempo run turned into a 4-mile slog after I got giddy during miles 2 and 3 (split times: 6m 44s; 6m 13s; 6m 06s; 6m 47s). On the plus side, that's an average of 6m 27s per mile -- my target 10k pace. 

Distance: 3.97 miles
Avg pace: 6m 27s / mile
Avg HR: 168 bpm

Friday

Rest (phew!)


Saturday

8 miles at bang on target marathon pace. Fresh as a daisy :-)

Distance: 8.03 miles
Avg pace: 7m 20s / mile
Avg HR: 159 bpm

Sunday

Long slow run which involved climbing over 1,700ft, being repeatedly stung by nettles and cut by brambles, trudging up to my ankles through mud and getting lost both in a potato field and on a 4x4 off-road course. I think I'll limit myself to one of these kind of runs per month!

Distance: 15.71 miles
Avg pace: 9m 12s / mile
Avg HR: 151 bpm