Day 115 - 4.70 miles
Another speed session on the grass track. This time 400m and 200m alternating reps, with equivalent recoveries. Quite a nice session really (probably means I'm not trying hard enough). Once again, I discarded the shoes altogether and enjoyed the feel of the grass under my feet.
Day 116 - Rest
Final day at the conference I've been working at. A very long one too, so I got home late.
Day 117 - Rest
Away for the weekend with friends from church, helping some other friends (old colleagues) to decorated a 17th century farmhouse they've bought and are doing up as a retreat centre. As usual I took my running gear. As usual…
Day 118 - Rest
Another one of those 'I wonder if I can sneak in a run' days. No, is the answer.
Day 119 - 2.30 miles
Determined to get in a run before club night tomorrow, I slipped out for a gentle couple of miles. Just to turn the legs over. The last time I did this it felt like hard work. This time wasn't bad, starting to feel a bit stronger I think.
Day 120 - 6.20 miles
Before, when I was running regularly, I used to make sure that on club days I got a good oaty breakfast, had pasta for lunch, and a banana and honey sandwich with a couple of hours to go. I haven't been doing that at all, so today I gave it a shot to see if the extra energy helped.
It worked. A great run, out of our village with the club, through the woods, up a steep rocky craggy path to the top of the Beacon (local hill, apparently the next highest hill to the east is the Urals in Russia). The woodland path was difficult, being in a group with thin soles I found it hard to dodge the stones, so I left the woods a bit bruised. But the path up the hillside was brilliant. Last year, when we did the same run - which involves springing from rock to rock up a steep climb - I was quickly exhausted. My legs weren't used to the springy action. But now I am running off my calves every time, so to use that same action on the climb felt much easier. It was the first time I've felt a bit like those runners in Born to Run. Light and springy over rough terrain.
I also learnt a little lesson in downhill running, something I've been struggling with. I'd been finding it difficult to remain on my toes and, instead, was slapping my feet down hard on the ground. This time I experimented a bit and found that if I flicked my legs right up to my backside on every stride (something ideally one should do all the time I think) I could run quickly and maintain a forefoot landing in a much lighter style. Progress.
Day 121 - Rest
A simple rest day. Looking forward to another track session tomorrow night and then I'm hoping to join the informal Saturday morning group for my first 10 mile run a couple of days later.
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