Long and Short Repeats

New Rockets session for me today: ten minutes effort, three minutes recovery, turn. Four repeats of one minute effort with one minute recovery followed by four repeats of thirty seconds effort with thirty seconds recovery back. Given my rubbish short term memory I was thankful Martin was there to keep track.

The run out was hard. If it hadn't been for fellow group C comrades Richard and Martin I'm sure I would have jacked early. However, I stuck it out. Martin caught Sarah with a minute to go and finished about five metres ahead of me.

The first minute rep on the way back was a completed shock to the system. Luckily Richard was on the ball and set a ripping pace. My step counting technique on the thirty second efforts (87 if you're interested) working well - so much easier than trying to count the seconds.

Generally pleased with the session - although not enough to warrant a chocolate bar.

Don't Go Back To Dalston

Four and half mile 'Kenny' run to Dalston & back (don't ask).

Didn't get lost. Didn't get mugged. Didn't get wet. Didn't get what I went for.

Four things you probably didn't know about Dalston:

1. The seventh track on Razorlight's 2004 debut album Up All Night, is named Don't Go Back To Dalston.
2. Bad Manners' 1980 song "Night Bus to Dalston" is the B side of hit "Lip Up Fatty".
3. In the Doctor Who episode "Love & Monsters" Obsessive fan "Elton" had a market stall on Dalston's Ridley Road.
4. The 2007 film Run Fat Boy Run was filmed in the St. Marks Conservation Area of Dalston.

OK Intervals

After another high mileage week, cumulating with Sunday's race, I anticipated not being up to much as today's Rockets. So when the call of eight three-minute repeats filtered back to Division C (Richard, Martin and me) I set my expectations to complete just six. Steve was also with us on the way out doing his usual trick of speeding up during the recoveries to catch and get a lead on us before the next effort.

Martin was by his own admission "knackered" and with Richard still recovering from a Sunday 10 mile off-road mud fest (sounds familiar), it turned out I was more than able to keep up with the group. In the end I ran all eight intervals and didn't embarrass myself tailing off the back too much.

After the second rep Martin, keen we regrouped during the recovery, said something about giving Steve a chance (to catch up). However, it sounded to me more like "giving peace a chance" which set John & Yoko going round my head for the next three minutes.

Keeping up with the C pack meant I managed to get a bit further than usual on the way out. So despite having registered their excuses we couldn't have been going all that slowly.

On the way back Richard ran strongly to the front (could not cycling in today have helped? - I think so) with Martin starting well but fading slightly mid way. I ran steady which meant a gap opening in the first minute that I was able to close over the final minute.

So overall quite pleased with today. No chocolate treat this afternoon though - saving myself for the minced pie and custard waiting at home.