I’ve had my head down, getting on with training for what seems like forever now. All through the winter months, the cold dark nights, long runs in the pelting rain, but I really feel as though it has been worth it.
After last years DNF at the Thames Path 100 I wanted to make sure I was better prepared this year.
I feel as though last year I just hadn’t done the quantity of longer runs I should have. I’d done a 40 miler and a good bunch of longer runs up to Christmas but the three months before the race didn’t go as well.
This year I’ve tried to do a better job in the block between Christmas and now. Been trying to make sure I was running longer (12, 14, 18 ish miles) twice a week and especially trying to make them tougher mentally (in the rain, in the dark, along boring/testing routes)
I did a nice 40 miler a couple of weeks back as my last long / tester run. This went really well. The plan was to take it easy and have a consistent effort, and it seemed to work. I spent some time comparing it to last years final long run / tester run and this year I was 45 mins faster over the distance and much more consistent in terms of pace.
Overall, pretty happy – but still wish I had done more (that’s normal right ?). The only minor blip (and I’m not sandbagging here… ) is that I tweaked my left knee on last weekends long run – feels like one of the support muscles and I was limping around the day after but seems to be getting better – hopefully all will be well for an easy 12-16 miler at the weekend leading into the final taper week and a great Thames Path 100.
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