That was the run that was...

Rather hard...

No marathon is ever going to be easy

You train on the terrain you can, in the weather you get.  You don't flinch the cold days, you don't duck the hot days and you learn to relish the wet days.  You seek out hills to test your legs, you look to match the surface you're running on...

But very little can prepare you for a sodden, cold day in May.  And the hills, oh the hills...






The green line is the elevation... Yes it felt worse than it looked, it was so wet that coming down I couldn't do my normal hell for leather and let gravity assist me as if I had I'd probably have gone proverbial over wotnot!

For those interested in reliving the full glory... 


All this sounds a little down, and its not meant to... It was a long, cold very wet run, and the prize I was after of a PB was acheived.  I fear I may have a touch of post-marathon blues, its a big target, I trained for it and I did it, and now I know I've got to do it again, with knobs on for October.

However, first I need to rest and recover - I've tired feet, as I found out while stretching at the climbing wall, chaffing on my right arm (I've no idea where from), the usual late onset muscle aches in my quads and calves. Today was a 5 mile walk, into town via the canal, which bought up 800km, and am closing in rapidly on 500 miles (tomorrow may bring that up - I'll be in the gym)...

And slapping the huge smile on my face - its another PB - which means a PB treat... I can't remember if I've mentioned these, but if I do a PB I get myself a little treat.  There are some rules - it can't be food, it has to be useful and its got to be something that's bugged me for while... So I have a small but perfectly formed set of north face duffel bags and accessories - the old berghaus one finally died so I went for the icon and I'm loving them (yes them - a huge one for travelling with stuff in the hold, and a carry one size one) - the rucksack straps are excellent and worth the extra couple of quid on their own.

So what's my treat for a 7 min PB... a 7 min PB on a much harder course than my old PB - Edinburgh is rated as the fastest in the UK, Belfast isn't... The homest answer is I don't know, having run so many I've almost run out of things that fit my criteria... And to be fair, given the brutality of the weather and the course it's going to be a good one.

So a restful week, a conference at the weekend linked to my OU course - on burial rituals.  Then down to London for the CHF Early Detection forum and a function at the House of Parliament - Early Detection & Parliament Trip

And then its the countdown to the Great Manchester run on 20th May - a 10k I intend to run on fresh legs...

TTFN

Paul

Comments

  1. Anonymous9 May 2012 at 22:03

    Well done! But what was that mental sprint three quarters of the way through?!

    See you Monday x

    ReplyDelete

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