Marathon update, week 10 - Park run pb

This week was all about piling on the miles and getting some real intense sessions done, on the back of a more relaxed week last time out. Following on from what was something of a recovery week, this one and the next couple were/are planned as putting the final touches together, to make sure I am in peak condition in 4 weeks time.

I feel that I have probably just completed my best ever training week. I have banked 90+ miles for the first time ever, and have put together a clutch of quality sessions to boot too.

My first serious session of the week was an 8x3 minute fartlek off a 90 second jog recovery. In truth, this one was a hard workout. I probably overcooked it in the first half of the session, with the first 4 lots of 3 minutes all being clocked in at sub 5 minute mile-ing. Despite the pace dropping through the second half (the next 4 reps went at an average of 5:12 pace), I held it together quite well to finish with an overall average of 5:06 through the 8 reps, and clocking about 59 minutes for 10 miles in total.

Thursday's tempo was possibly the most controlled and consistent session I have ever done. I ran well for the 10 miles last week, averaging 5:31s and running 55:11. This time around, I ran even better. I felt strong, relaxed, controlled and as though I could have gone on for a while further too. I ran 5:25 average, and 54:11 for 10 miles. The key though, is I didn't feel as though I was particularly pushing myself, it just felt like a natural and relaxed pace - and I finished it feeling confident that it is a good indicator for the shape I am in.

I doubled up with morning and evening runs on Wednesday and Friday, and with Sunday penned in for my longest run prior to the marathon, I had it in my head that I wanted to be running it on tired legs and - this might sound daft - I actually wanted to feel rubbish for it. Mentally, I just thought that if I can get through that longest run on tired legs and feeling horrible, it would be perfect preparation for how I can expect to feel on race day.

So, as part of that plan, I decided to utilise the local Preston park run on the Saturday. I chose to use it as a really hard session, in order to empty the tank, build up some lactic and also to get a bit of pace work thrown into the mix.

Joe Monk was also doing the Park Run, after his sub 16 effort last week, and so I had some good company to help me get into the right pace bracket early doors. Joe had another good run, on back of equaling his pb at Mid Cheshire 5k just 2 days before, and ran 16 minutes again. Thankfully, I managed to push on and on through the 3 laps and ran strongly. It is a hilly course and not exactly what you would call a quick 5k track, so to run 15:31 on it was very pleasing. It is again, another good indicator of the shape I am in, and despite little in the way of real pace training, I am still probably actually in 5k pb shape potentially on a quicker, flatter course. Taking the course record was a nice little bonus too! I am quite proud to take it actually, as I thought the previous one was a fantastic time on a difficult course, that would be tough to beat.

I ran my long run, which was definitely on tired legs (!), with Rob Affleck, and we ran the Guild Wheel, and added on a lap of the docks and a bit extra around Avenham Park to make it up to 24 miles. I did feel rubbish and it was a hard run, but I got it done, held my pace at 6:35s and - despite wanting to several times - I didn't stop 😂

4 weeks to go, two more solid weeks of training and we are almost there.

Total mileage for the week: 90.5

Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:30

Total mileage so far this month (August): 336.5

Total mileage for 2017: 2454

Average miles per day 2017: 10.31