Long run - almost a proper one

Board Report week (which is an awful series of writing then correcting/changing reports, and with acting as a kind of "supply teacher" and looking after Operations I have two to write) so by 3pm Friday I'd absolutely had enough and was itching to get out and get running.

We were going out with Angry and his wife so I was under oath to get home for 5:30, so starting out at 3:25 for what was planned to be 16 miles wasn't the best idea. However I set off, possibly a bit quicker than usual, heading for Bingley.

The first few miles, usually averaging 8's were indeed a touch quicker, and my pace on the canal was 7:30-7:35 and felt very comfortable. I had decided to turn at 4:20pm as I could allow myself an hour to get back and still not turn into a pumpkin. At 4:20 I was at about 7.25m, sodecided to carry on to 7.5m and do 15, which would still be a step up from my last long one, and also to try and do a 4m effort at PME (which my RW mates tell me is "perceived marathon effort" - which at this stage will of course be slower than marathon pace).

The mile up 3 and 5 Rise was slower at 8:03 then I had half a mile to recover before the Micklethwaite road and the beginning of the effort. I tried to keep it at what felt comfortably brisk, which for mile 1 was 7:07, and the second one was 7:03. I felt pretty comfy so speeded up to 6:51 and then the last one at 6:41, which still felt ok. Pleasing to manage that at the end of the longest run so far, and to be able to run the last 1.5m still at 7:30. I also got home to go and see a very chucklesome Jon Richardson in Harrogate.

No running today as it was a momentous day in our house - firstly a nail-biting couple of hours waiting for the postman to deliver Maisie's 11+ results, which she passed by bloody miles (not sure what we were worrying about really...) and then off to Bordley to pick up young Izzy, our new puppy, who's a real cutie and seems to be settling in really well. Pics on here if she ever stops still long enough to take any...