Tippy tappy taper.

First week of the taper is done, without too much lunacy and phantom injuries.  After Tuesday's effort in London I was in Newcastle Thursday, and prior to joining Thackray in some beer and outrageously hot curry I got a steady 5 miles in along the quay.

It felt very, very easy, but the pace was 7:34 average with a very low average HR - which suggests that even though I don't feel in top form I'm fitter than I've been for a while.

Then Saturday it was the club's Dales Way Relay from Bowness to Ilkley.  The team started at about 5am, but I wasn't away for another 12 hours, when I met Andrew Merrick and Rebecca Mon-Williams to run to Ilkley from Grassington.  The team were half an hour or so down on schedule, so we cracked on a bit, with Rebecca's husband Mark sprinting ahead to open gates.  Merrick and I felt obliged to sprint after him, so my intended slow 16 miler started off with 3 miles at just over 7min pace.

At Burnsall we steadied the ship and collected a few steadier runners, and the rest of the way was slow, with frequent stops to hold gates open.  The scenery was, as usual, stunning, and the weather came out beautifully.  We saw daffodils, lambs and finally the Old Bridge in the centre of Ilkley where the "baton", a pebble from the shore of Windermere, was deposited into its new home in the Wharfe.

A grand day out, but one which has left my left ITB a bit sore (taper madness? Maybe...), I suspect due to running so much slower than usual for a long time.

 Daffs at Grassington before the off

The team near the finish by Addingham church

Today after a day's rest I returned from Doxford fairly early and managed to get out in the damp and the wind for a 5 mile Halton East Loop.  The ITB was a little sore, but hopefully with reduced mileage (and less slow running, which seems to be the problem!) it'll be fine.