After a slow start to the new year, last week I managed to really kick on with my training, with no ill effects lingering from my bad back and flu. This meant that I was able to get the ball rolling with some tougher sessions and start to press on with my training plans for 2017.
This week was pleasing for a few different reasons, I managed my highest mileage week since November when I set a host of pb's. I also managed to lay down some good foundations for the weeks ahead with some decent intensity and a few different structured runs.
The bulk of my running was actually done on my way home from work each day, as I've been working on a big job with my dad I have made the most of the opportunity to be able to grab a lift there with him, and then commute the ten miles home on foot. It both saved me time, which allowed me to crack on with extra work at home, and also meant that I didn't even have to worry about setting myself routes etc once I got home!
My week consisted of 4 main quality sessions. I did a fartlek run on my way home on Tuesday, with a ten minute warm up, 10 x 2 minutes effort and 2 minutes jog recovery, and ten minutes cool down. On this session I peaked at 4:59 pace and completed the ten miles in an average of 6:02 pace (inclusive of warm up/cool down). I was pleased with this, as it was the first real pace session I had done on the back of my problems and I was a tad surprised to be able to duck below 5 minute mileing on a few of the reps once I got going.
My second proper session of the week came, as usual, on Thursday with a 4 mile tempo around Preston Docks. After returning with 5:33 average for the loop last week, this time around I felt tons better and performed much stronger, with an average pace of 5:15 for the four miles feeling comfortable. An improvement of 18 seconds in just 7 days shows that I was right not to risk racing at the Lancs XC last weekend, as I just wasn't fit.
On Saturday, having worked in order to have a little extra spends for the house fund, I missed the mid lancs crosscountry, so instead I treated my ten mile run home as a tempo session. With an easy first and last mile, I averaged under 5:40s for the 8 miles in between (not bad straight from work I don't think!) and completed the ten miles in 58:23.
Finally, after another busy day at the house, completing another 7 day working week more or less, I motivated myself to get out for a long run in the evening on Sunday. I had planned on doing 16-17 miles, but in the end settled for 14.5 which is a bit shorter than I wanted, but not a disaster. Hopefully I have done enough to perform ok at Inskip half next week. This one I managed to hold a steady and consistent 6:35 pace throughout.
I am more than happy with the way I have managed to get myself back on track, but that is the one thing that I am conscious that I now have to get back to - the track! I am missing the top end speed work at the moment and will work hard to try and get back to that again over the coming weeks now.
Total mileage for the week: 75
Average pace for the week (m/pm): 6:24
Total mileage so far this month (January): 143.5
Average miles per day 2017: 9.53
