I think I need a lie down

5 runs in 6 days and over 70km and I'm feeling heavy legged and tired. Maybe a touch of overdoing it. So I'm not running today depsite having time, inclination and weather. Training requires rest/accomodation etc.

2 steady runs last couple of days, one a bit under 10km, a regular run of mine old bridge to old bridge via Addingham and yesterday a

bit of an extension/variation on this involving another bridge hence forth to be called the 3 Bridges Addingham run (actually there are several other Bridges on this run but I'm too tired to

be pedantic), this 3 Bridges run is 11.1km. Good easy recovery run routes, I may return to them as routes to do tempo runs in coming weeks as I build them up.

Just been listening to podcast Marathon Talk and they are nattering about goal setting etc, whilst I'm clear where my race

goals are in the next year - I'm wondering if I need to be more specific - including some time target as well - which in turn may further focus my training programme. I'm off to sleep on it.

Return to 20th April

So as I promised myself, I've been and done the 2oth April session again

Same distance 500m x8 but shorter recoveries by 10 sec. Very little wind to contend with that's weather or the other type.

Managed to cut 38 sec off my aggregate times for the 8 500s and was finding some spurts of pace that I thought were gone for ever.

So well chuffed - suspect the performance improvement curve will start to tail off now (though I saw something there that offers potential for more than marginal improvement in time)

Kildwick 10 with dodgers

It's a mental things as well as a physical thing this running lark - my legs were heavy and achy after yesterday but I was keen to get out again - and they were less heavy and achy afterwards than before - there must be a lesson in there for me somewhere if I'm willing to learn.

Dodgers run today 10km of canal paths, lanes and a run through the hospital, pretty flat and a chatty pace mostly with Justin and Chris (and 16 others somewhere behind). Turned warm and sunny on the way round. All nicely in zone 2 - so good recovery run.

I've done 71km this week over 4 runs - which is more than planned, I'll keep that in check a bit this next week. Generally I'm a bit slow for me at the moment which is disappointing but I'm beginning to get back to some sort of decent milage for me - I hope things start to pick up again - whatever I'm enjoying it at the moment.

Harrogate Ringway

After saying we would do this for sometime, at last we coordinated our diaries, and Pete E, Mollie the dog and I set off from P's house at 8.30 to run the harrogate ringway. Conveniently they live in Harrogate not far from the path. Having been promised rain we were pleased to set off with the weather fair and so it continued. We were both in need of a long run and are well matched. We enjoyed catching up on life, the families and talk about running past and future. We misssed a few turns so map was often out, had a few pit stops and enjoyed a fine leisurely amble. Annette joined us for the last few miles when to be honest we were suffering a bit and so she brought light to developing painful brooding silence that descends when the legs ache and the brain is starved of oxygen and fuel.
Will remember a fine run, good company a bit of pain....and a wierd conversation when Pete was talking about chick flicks that were worth watching on a philosophical level, he clearly has lived with 4 women way too long and needs to get out and watch what Annette puts in his tea.
So 34km in leisurely, stop start 4 hours with 1700ft of up. That's a lot of calories to squeeze into the recovery.
One fuel thought Lucozade makes me feel ill, flapjack is awesome

Canalside canter

Having misjudged the working day and booked myself in to 9pm, I decided to take a couple of hours out to maintain my sanity.
Parked up at Hirstwood and ambled in the Liverpool direction. The plan was a bit of tempo, so 5km to warm up, 5km tempo, then 5km cool. Stuck to plan. So another proper session laid down and a marker to build on. I have a twenty something miler planned for sat, so a day off tomorrow and a slow one before election result watching on Thursday. Now off to freshen up before the next tempo session at work
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May goals

Sit down and think.
For May
50+ km per week
2 "proper hard training sessions" per week
Some early morning runs
Eat like you want to live til your next birthday
Mix it up
Use hrm for most runs
This will give some base for more miles and 3 sessions per week in June to move into marathon programme july for oct Marathon.
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Meander above Middleton

After the long drive back from the visiting/family wedding weekend in Kent/East Sussex I decided to make a quick exit to run off the lethargy of the journey. The plan was to amble around the valley bottom to Addingham and back real slow. However the evening was just to0 stunning to stay down here so...arriving at Nesfield my legs took to route to the moor, up and up, to the road from Beamsley Beacon, a quick wiggle and along to concrete square, beyond to Middleton Village, down Carters lane.

I turned left to add some an extra mile or two, but was subject to some abdo cramps - and fearing an attack of the gingerbreads turned back along the river route back to the old bridge to pick up the car for home.

So a real nice run and real nice evening. Everything, the folk of Ilkley, the birds, the sheep, the trees, the flies, the cars, the grass the sky seemed to be breathing out a satisfied sigh - was glad to join them.

Mostly zone 2, 11.7km, 600ft of upness