This last week I did three runs:
Run 1 - 5K standard fastish run
Run 2 - 4.5Ks 400 metre intervals
Run 3 - 10K slower longish run
This was my standard 5K short run, standard route and my fastest yet I think, which shows I am getting back to form, I even held back a little.
The first couple of dips are just a couple of awkward short turns on the course where I have to slow down, the last one is my going down to 5.40 pace up the last hill before the fast KM to the end, quite a nice set up!
I was especially pleased with the last KM at a 4.23 pace, although I did feel it a little afterwards, but I guess that is to be expected. I did tail off in the last 5 metres, I was fast enough!
My first proper interval session in probably 2 and a half years!
I opted to run these right down on the sea front (which is paved!) rather than the cliff top walk as there were fewer people and dog walkers down below. I did the final one up on the flat atop the cliff so my final interval break was walking up the steps, it worked quite well I thought.
Back to the old classic 400s - because I was going longer and faster than I have done in a long time I held back and did 2 warm ups and then three regular intervals, but even on those I held back, it wasn't until the final one that I gave it some wellie.
3.40 odd pace for 400M pretty good, but that's with the wind behind me so slightly slower in fairness.
I turned up at 8.00 as usual and no other club runners!
Oops, I guess the meeting was somewhere else for a change or it was cancelled, no idea TBH! But I headed out for a solo run anyway, 10Ks and I held back to compensate for the fact that I'd usually be going slower and we'd have a 3 minute photo break half way usually.
The danger was that on my own I would have naturally run the whole thing at my 5K pace, but I made sure that didn't happen and ended up with a pace pretty similar to last week's group run, just a little faster.
The wind was brutal on this one on the way back and I had to do a walking break, which fitted in with my desire to slow down anyway, so that was fine.
I'd be happy just to repeat next week, I'm not going to look to push properly until I get back to Hereford and on familiar territory as the wind around here can ruin one's pace or give one a false sense of achievement, which I really don't like.
So easy does it, I might even do a couple of treadmill sessions, I don't like the look of the cold weather coming this week! And that wind in the cold, urrgh!
