Monday 26 January 2015

SURVIVING SEVEN

After week 6 comes week 7...astonishing, I know, but another step through the relentless forward progress through the 20 week training plan up to the London Marathon.

Week 6 ended with a very cold, damp 14 mile long run which was generally ok but resulted in me having a head cold which moved to my chest, low lung capacity and a cough.  Monday's are a running rest day, often the only one each week, with Pilates in the evening.  Last Monday I was facing another hefty week of work and training and not feeling great for either!

Tuesday is Sherfield Club Runners' club night where we do effort sessions and last week featured our great intervals session of a variety of effort and time mixes that pushes everyone's individual boundaries.  The double problems were said cold and the sub zero temperature that meant, even with a good warm up and constant movement, legs were getting stiff, sore and calf muscles were calling enough across many people.  A night for "throttling back" and getting the most out of the session, being positive, enjoying it and moving on.

This became the shape of the week with a work induced rest day on Weds, double training Thursday ( Kenyan hills at 0615 then a 4 mile club run at 1930...followed by SPR Committee mtg.), a recovery run them swimming ( off pace, no puff in lungs still) on Friday, a decent fastish ParkRun on tricky, icy paths after a warm up pre-run Saturday, then a return to cross country on Sunday.

The Southern Cross Country League continues to bring great events, great fun and a whole load of muddy challenges.  Yesterday was the turn of Stubbington Green Runners to host their event at Manor Farm country park on the banks and slopes above the Hamble.  A lovely setting and a very challenging run with loads of sticky mud and a particularly tricky bit downhill down a country lane that suddenly switched from Tarmac to very deep mud that you hit a full on road race speed...with the next few hundred metres looking like something out of It's A Knockout as everyone slipped, skidded and some fell negotiating this stretch.  A great event, great fun even with a killer last hill back up to the finish...and a good result from the SPR teams considering we were running at the minimum team sizes of 3 women and 5 men so everyone was a scoring runner.  Brill cakes after again!  As we all know, SXCL and cross country really is all about the cakes!

So, the week done and survived.  Still very positive and motivated and driving on, so rather than being a bit downcast by distances or effort or pace or weekly mile count being "off target" I'm still happy that every session done counts and builds towards THE DAY on 26th April.  M

2 comments:

  1. As each week passes I'm more and more impressed with the dedication and determination you throw at your running. I was a little worried last week as running when unwell is never recommended. But you did it and only you knew how far to push yourself and it worked. Always there to support you! Debs x

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  2. Thanks...couldn't do even part of it without you and your support x

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