Back To The Back

With sun cracking the flagstones and mercury on the wrong side of 30, today was always going to be hot, hot, hot.

Leaving the gym heading over to the meeting point, wearing my fashion police compliant skimpy shorts, legs felt like they hadn’t recovered from last week’s hard sessions. But they’ve felt like that before and been fine once out running. Not today though.

Despite the heat there must have been the best part of a dozen of us congregated at the canal for the start. No Niall or Martin and with few other sub-county runners I guessed I was in for a lonely time. Plan for the day was two three minute reps with a measly minute recovery out, then 15 seconds on 15 seconds off all the way back. “It’s harder than it sounds” we were warned, “but at least it doesn’t take too long so you can get back for a nice cold shower”. Unless that is you’re unlucky enough to get changed at the Merrill Lynch gym whose showers were on the blink (only hot water can you believe?).

On the first rep I kind of just about didn’t managed to keep up with Karen. Caught up on the recovery but was well and truly dropped on the second (and thankfully final) long rep. On the way back stayed in a group of four for a while and then dropped back with a guy who had gone out chasing the elites for the long reps and was now paying the price. I found 15 seconds on and off a bit short and probably would have run better 30 seconds on 30 seconds off.

Warm down run back to the gym did little to lower my heart rate despite going topless. However, the girls on reception duly noted and commented on my fine physical stature which kind of made it all worthwhile. Still at least I didn't get lost which is exactly what my usual running buddies from work managed to do. I mean how an earth is that possible? We've been running virtually the same routes week in week out for over four years now! Numpties.