Reading long run

I wouldn’t go as far as saying today was a rehearsal but Jean and I came to visit our daughter in Reading and while here I went for a run over what were described as the hills around mile 3 of the RHM route.

Having done the hill in a 7 mile run I’m quite encouraged. Yes, there’s a very pointy bit but it really is very short and no worse than some of the hills we train on regularly at home. If I’m honest I think the longer hills before the run back to the stadium will be harder. Looking forward to four weeks time now!

Run Britain Rankings – 17 February

A drop of a couple of thousand places in the overall ladder last month but nothing much really…

Ankle irritations and return to form

Since last time I wrote here I’ve  certainly had a couple of weeks full of runs and a little bit of injury. Well it’s going to happen isn’t it.

It’s actually been 11 separate running sessions going up to 10 miles as a longest run. Three longer runs, three interval / speed sessions, three recovery runs, a shorter treadmill session and a Parkrun.  I would have probably had more runs too except I hurt my ankle stepping off a pavement a few weeks back. It set me back a few days and isn’t quite right yet but it’s OK really.

There’s probably three runs worthy of note. Jersey Parkrun #69 was not my fastest but to run 25:19 so soon after hurting my ankle was a great result.

Then the next day after that I was treated to some particularly filthy wind and rain for a 10 mile run from La Haule up the full length of the Railway Walk. Ten miles in a fraction over an hour and three quarters was fine. Pretty good steady pace throughout.

Which brings us to today.

Once again the weather gods weren’t so much smiling on us – more kind of weeing on us from a great height. It was a bit windy in certain places too (I knew I shouldn’t have run along the harbour wall today) but the rain was just horrible. Until we finished running of course. Then it could dry up a bit.

But despite that today’s 8 mile run went really well. I was aiming to beat ten-minute mile pace and I did by just over a minute. 1:18:41 was pretty good but most importantly my heart-rate was well under control, I ran the whole distance and my pace was steady and strong throughout.

My basic speed is not quite at my best at the moment but at the end of the day that’s not what I’m trying to achieve right now. It’s six weeks until the Reading Half Marathon and I feel strong and ready for the hard training work still to come. Then the two-hour half marathon awaits!