Still here, still running

Seems an age since I wrote anything here, and I must confess I've been going through a bit of a "can I still be bothered with this" period when it comes to running (well, marathon training more specifically).  I think it's a combination of having to do virtually all my running alone (Hinsley's had his op, The Newmanator is coming back from injury and The Herb and I never seem to be in the same place) and having to travel a lot with work meaning no lunchtime running.

Still - I've managed to keep going.  Last week was a cutback week after 3 higher mileage weeks, so I just managed a couple of laps of Hyde Park (9m), a 5m steady run to Halton East and then a briskish (1:40) run home from work.

Then it was off to Edinburgh with the lads for beer, pies and rugby, meaning this week started with a hangover.  I got out on Wednesday down in London, and ran from Bloomsbury where I was staying all the way along to Hyde Park, where I found myself running along with oodles of people.  I reckon I'd strayed in to the Serpies club night, but whatever it was it spurred me onto running round Hyde, St James' and Green Parks before running back to my hotel - 11m with a few miles at 7:2x.

Thursday saw another 5 miler to Halton East in the dark, before the next 20 miler reared its head yesterday.  I got less than a mile in and seriously considered turning round and retiring from marathon running - but then decided that would be a waste of a couple of months of running, so carried on.

Partly because I wanted it over, and partly to compare with how I'm going with last year, I pushed on a bit more than of late, with quite a few miles coming in around 7:30, instead of the 7:50+ I've been running at.  This felt like harder work, but part of this is down, I'm sure, to the rather stinky cold I'm carrying.

Turning at Shipley after just over 1:16 suggested that I was going quicker than previous 20 milers, but my legs were feeling it.  Could be the effects of the cold, but whatever it was I'd decided against a 4m effort.  I did decide to kick on at the Tesco road, and ran 3m at 6:57, 6:47 and 6:37 - with the first one feeling the hardest by some distance!  It was tough though, and on the last couple of miles to the car my thighs were feeling tight - so either I'm short of fitness or the cold had taken its toll.

Assuming I get a recovery of some sort in today that'll at least take me past 40 for the week, and I have a slightly less bonkers week at work coming up, so may even manage a run at lunchtime.