Familiar territory

Another week gone, and for once I feel like I might actually have done a worthwhile week's training.  A decent speed/tempo session, a recovery or two and a fast interval sesh yesterday left me with just one of the "trinity" of key runs (according to me, anyway) to do - the long one.

I actually had "long run" in the diary this afternoon and had I been able to get a lift in that would probably have meant a run home and maybe (just maybe...) a twiddly bit on one end or the other to make it a bit longer.  In the end The Herb is in Wales and The Dazzler is in Grimsby (not sure which sounds worse...) so I had to drive in.  During the canal bike ride with M&L earlier in the week I'd been jealous of the people we saw running on the canal, so I decided to return to the site of my long runs in the winter - Hainsworth Road in Silsden.  This is actually my third time there this week, but it is a very convenient place to access the canal, as it avoids the lumpy bumpy bit nearer Silsden, and leaves me with a short drive home afterwards.

I set off with 12 miles in mind - I reckoned (correctly) that would take me to the top of 5Rise and back.  On the way my chosen pace of about 7:35 felt easy enough (although my HRM was playing silly buggers again - and NO REPLY from Garmin to my email.  Nobs) so I took my courage in both hands and descended the locks and carried on.  As I approached the 7 mile point I started to feel a bit tired, which was slightly worrying given the distance I had to get back to the car, but I decided that 15m was the target.  I'd brought a water bottle and some gels, and a slurp of both brought almost instant relief (and possibly the fact I'd turned round!).

I even speeded up, not to anywhere near my old MP, but sub-7:20, for a few miles, and actually ran the last 5 at 7:17 pace.  I finished with 15m on the clock in 1:53, including a quick chat with Connors, an old colleague who was also out for a run and a stop for a wee (not at the same time, obviously).  Glad to have a long one in the bag, and with a steady recovery tomorrow I'll be not far off 40m for the week.  The step up to 20m in August doesn't feel quite so daunting now...