Sunday Long (yes on Friday)

A week into the training schedule and its already gone Dolly Parton/Pete Tong.

Wednesday should have been "4-6 miles slow". However, I got tied up with stuff at work and didn't get out at all. Yesterday I did the scheduled out and back tempo. However, today is down as a rest day. Which given I had the unscheduled rest only two days ago isn't on.

So taking into account I had the day off work and the clocks go forward on Sunday I decided to move Sunday's "8-9 miles easy" to today. As to what to do on Sunday... well we'll see.

Today's route was for the most part made up on the fly. The general plan was to start out heading south in the direction of St Albans (and into the wind) before turning for home with the wind on my back. So I left the house and immediately started running north before looping back through the town centre and heading over to West Common via Rothamsted Park.

From West Common I decided to try picking up the footpath across the fields to Beeson End Lane - which I managed at the second attempt. But once on the track forked right towards Redbourn. At some point during the subsequent couple of miles I lost the official path and eventually found myself up by the rugby club overflow car park. Note quite what I'd been aiming for but no harm done (and no shots fired by angry farmers).

And then much to my surprise I found the missing a link - a footpath running parallel to Redbourn Lane. This road has no pavement or runnable verge and is far too busy to risk running in the road. Quite a result I'd say.

Turning right at the bottom of the hill took me on to the Nickey Line. At the top of the incline I threw in a quick skirt round the perimeter of Rothamsted Park before making for home.

Ten miles covered at average pace 7:46. Not quite as quick as last Sunday with Simon but still more than good enough for an easy long.

Step-Up Out and Back Run

Out and back run: 15-18 mins out; faster back

And there in lies the problem with this training schedule: it doesn't specify target pace.

So I decided I'd target running out two and a half miles at seven minute mile and head back fifteen seconds a mile faster. The chosen route was Wobbly Bridge north side to Albert Embankment via way of Westminster Bridge and avoiding steps by going round the back of St Thomas hospital.

The wind was generally against me out to the turn but nowhere near as strong as last Saturday. Hitting target pace on the way out wasn't a problem while on the way back I averaged nearer 6:30. So if the wind was giving me say ten seconds per mile that gives me 6:50 out and 6:40 back.

I guess that's OK.

Poor

Nearly getting dropped on a warm-up is never a good sign. And true to form today's Rocket's session didn't go well. You could say I was running in a class of my own. Unfortunately the class was well off the back.

I blame Martin - he wasn't there and so I was left to languish in isolation.

The session was four minutes off 90 seconds recovery. The fit and able did six reps. The weak and feeble four.

Oh well no one said it would be easy...