Easy 10k

I met up with my friend Auke for an easy run around Woluwe this evening. We did exactly 10k in 52 minutes (my Garmin tracked the first 4.5 miles and then died; full map here courtesy of Auke).

I'm not pushing myself at all from here on in. Shin splints are looming again and the marathon is only 10 days away. I've been so desperate to keep up my mileage since picking up that cold in Berlin that my legs are pretty fatigued. I'd be lying if I said my training has gone to plan, but I'm hoping it'll be enough. I'll do a few easy miles with Annie on Saturday morning and then no more than 16-17 miles on Sunday, perhaps a little less.

If I've not done enough by now, then it's really too late to fix it, so fingers crossed!

Fartlek

No, this post isn't an ode to toilet humour: fartlek is Swedish for 'speedplay'. The basic premise is to run easy to steady and use visual markers to sprint for short distances. Doesn't have to be regimented - just run however you feel. In fact, as a long-distance runner you very rarely go all out (unless you have dedicated speed sessions), so this is a good way to mix things up a little bit. I ran 3 miles in 20m 37s and felt like I'd had a decent workout without necessarily tiring myself out. I should do this kind of running more often.

During the rest of the week I'll fit in a medium-sized session, a recovery run and then a long slow run on Sunday. I'm stepping things down, of course, as the Paris Marathon is in a mere 10 days. GULP!

Long slog

I'm still not feeling 100% so today's run was pretty hard work. Again, the objective was to stay on my feet rather than put in a decent time, and I think I managed that pretty well. In the end I ran 20.27 miles in 2h 48m. On the big day, I should only be out for half an hour longer than that. Then again, I've had two colds over the last few weeks, which has hardly helped my preparations. I anticipate my legs will really start to stiffen up for the final 5 or 6 miles of the marathon. I'll do my best - can't say fairer than that!

I tested out a camel pack today (a small back pack with a bladder for water). I have to say it worked pretty well. While 2 litres of water is pretty heavy, it doesn't feel too bad spread across both shoulders. Certainly better than those awful bottles on belts that ride up to your midriff and strangle the life out of your diaphragm. The main downside was the chafing around the neck, but I only shelled out €20 for it and I'm sure I'll use it again. I took a couple of gels with me today, too. I probably should have taken a chocolate bar or something too just in case I ended up having a funny turn miles from home. Anyway, enough waffle about equipment.

Today was a nice day for running, if a little warm. I enjoyed myself, but didn't have much left in me by the end. Success on the whole, though. I doubt I'll put in a longer run before the big day, so hopefully I already have enough miles in my legs. Time will tell!

Recovery run

A few easy miles in the park with Annie, mostly to loosen up my muscles after yesterday's 10k.

Attention deficit

I headed out for a 10-mile run this evening, got bored, sped up and called it a day at 10k (6.14 miles). I was pretty pleased, though, because I managed it in 41m 30s, and the first three miles were steady but not fast. I'm looking forward to entering a 10k event in the summer to see if I can officially come in under 40 minutes.

False alarm

This evening after work I went for a brief run (3.74 miles in about 25 minutes) on the park, then I thought I had the runs, so I sprinted home as fast as I could. False alarm. Kept me on my toes, though! Perhaps too much info for a blog. But then you don't have to read it ;-)

Blergh

I've decided I'm running through this cold. It's not on my chest at the moment, and anyway, I really can't afford to keep putting off my long slow runs because of my rubbish body. So today I set off dead slow with the intention of speeding up gradually throughout and listening to my body. I covered 18 miles in just over 2-and-a-half hours and felt OK, if a little heavy legged. Of course, I'll be zipping around Paris much more quickly than that, but pace wasn't the objective today. In fact, I'm glad I'm being forced to take it easier: this way I'm on my feet for longer, which is better practice for the big day.

After the run I was exhausted, but stayed on my feet for most of the day in a bid not to seize up like a rusty old bike. While I'm a little frustrated at how much the run took out of me, I can see it stands to reason, not only because of this cold, but also because I put so much into my half marathon last week (probably too much). So the plan for this next week is to carry on ignoring my body (well, listening to it, but mostly ignoring it): a 10-mile marathon pace run on Tuesday, a tempo run on Thursday, perhaps a recovery run in there somewhere, and 21 miles next Sunday. Then I'll start tapering - time is scarily short.

If anyone sneezes or coughs anywhere near me over the next few weeks, I'm going to punch them in the face. You've been warned :-)