Humid

Week ended 20^th July

I am heading off on my holidays in a few weeks so the priority for me is to get miles up on the legs. I will entering one more race in the coming week –Churchtown South 5 miler. As a result I gave the Donoughamore 7 a miss, my first time missing it since 2010. I had hoped to get under 50 minutes ideally under 49 minutes but the recovery from running a very tough race always takes it toll at the weekend. My clubmates from Mallow recorded good times there on Friday night.

Monday was a relaxed affair – jog / walk in 40 minutes. Tuesday was a surprisingly good run. One mile warm up and 5 miles at what was meant to be at 7.40 pace and one mile cooldown. I really didn’t think I had a strong 5 miles in me but I ran the lot in 7.16 average with the last mile at 6.55 pace. Wednesday was another mid pace medium long run – 85 minute run covering 10.38 miles at a solid pace of 8.12. The weather was very heavy – meaning humid and for a second week in a row I was very parched. The Hr was a bit high too 151 – but that was down to the weather with temperatures at around 23 degrees Celsius and the workout the day before. Thursday I joined the club session in Doneraile park. Not having been there in 7 weeks I didn’t get around to doing my planned 2 mile warm up too busy catching up with all the gossip. Anyway in keeping with the week the workout went well running 5.5 miles with 3.1 miles in 22.15 and keeping in touch with the leading runners in the group, though i am sure they were taking it easy.

No running on Friday but it did mark the end of the correcting so hip hip hooray. Saturday I ran 10k at a 7.50 average pace. I bumped into Paudie who is currently recovering from a  operation on his leg. He will be back in a few months but recovery will take time.

Nevertheless despite my good week I felt unsettled as to what run I would do on Sunday. The schedule called for a long run of 17 miles or a marathon pace with a 10 mile cut in or a 13 mile cut back run. I had resolved to do the 17 mile long run but the early start in Mallow ( a solo run of 4 miles before joining the main group at 9am for 13 miles) was totally thrown out by me missing my alarm. I had a terrible nights sleep as some idiot couple were having a drunken and noisy argument for a hour at 5 in the morning outside the house. By the time I woke up and dragged myself down to mallow for 9 I was pretty much not-in-the form. As a result I ran 13.34 miles instead. It was very humid and I think we were all suffering and glad to see it done. Most of the group had ran Donoughamore the Friday before so they were feeling it themselves. Anyway for the record it was 13.34 miles at 8.27 pace. The HR was 147. It will have to be a proper long run next week though and a marathon pace long run the week after that.

Nevertheless a good running week. 46 miles. Monday 3.7 mls, Tuesday 7 mls, Wednesday 10.38, Thursday 5.5 mls, Saturday 6.2 mls, Sunday 13.34 mls.