w/c 26th February - progressing nicely

This was a good week, showing the benefit of an easier week before it. It also shows that you do need to endure a couple of week's tiredness before moving through to a higher level of fitness.

It's been a mixed week in terms of activity. Fellrunning, road efforts on the hills and flat and to cap it all, an impromptu road race.

Also learned a few things about food and route choices on the BGR.

Monday - 7M slow - up the hill to Llay and back - felt very slow to start with and picked up toward the end - a proper recovery run.

Tuesday - 9M - club session. 2 Burwardsley figure of 8's. Always a tough workout, esp on tired legs. Ran hard and well, couldn't hold AG who ran very well, but he was not too far ahead all the way round and i think i even gained on him on the 2nd effort - good endurance.

Weds - 7M pace run with A - ran at A's marathon race pace (7.30/mile) at Wrexham IE. Boring and neither of us could be arsed, but gets me out on a Weds and it's good to help Alison out given that i'm always buggering off to do fellruns.

Thurs - 9M - club session. 12 * 300m (!) ran well, with speed of all reps very consistent and at about 5.30 pace. Again, no holding Andrew or Peter - they were off! Then 3 efforts of about a mile of or so which were hard and I was a little off the pace, but felt good at the end.

Fri - Rest - up to Center Parcs

Sat - 15M and 5300' ascent, BGR leg one with Paul Miller. Starting at the Moot hall, I went the 'normal' way and Paul went up via Carl Side to see which was quickest. We both went at an easy BGR-esque pace. I got to the top in 79 mins without breaking sweat and moving very easily to find Paul had been there 5 mins! His route was just under a mile shorter acc to our GPSs but his was steeper and he said he had to work hard whereas I didn't. So, is the 5 mins or so worth it? Given i was still 7 mins under A 23 hour schedule and was 2 mins inside a 22 hour schedule it mighth be that the extra effort Paul had to endure on the steeper slopes might have cost him later on. We stayed together after that and did Calva 7 mins under and Blencathra 6 mins under. A bitty descent off Halls Fell was done about on schedule. This resulted in a leg one time of 3:44, which is exactly on 22 hour schedule (thuis included some stopping to check routes). It felt easy and i was fresh - so no worries there.

Foodwise - dried mangos (fair trade ones from Somerfield) were brilliant.

Sun - Haweswater Half Marathon - 1:28:58. Rain , rain and tired legs at the start means that although this was not a pb, it was still a respectable run. Happy to get under 1:30 with this week in my legs! Turns out there was nearly 1000' climbing in this race acc to Runners' World so very happy with time considering state of legs and weather - a real confidence booster.

Totals - 61 miles, probably about 7500'