Mileage: 17.25 miles
AM: 3.75 miles; PM: 13.5 miles
Tonight’s meadow’s session was one of my favourites and I have been looking forward to it all week long. It didn’t disappoint. Tonight’s session was 4*1.47miles (or one complete lap of the meadows) with two and a half minute recoveries in between. I arrived at the meadows after a hard day’s work and I felt a little tired. My legs were still a little stiff and sore after Tuesday’s training session and it is possible that I went a little too hard on my Wednesday recovery run. Despite this (okay sounds like I am getting my excuses in now, but just setting the scene!) I was really hoping to run well. In fact I was pretty much chomping at the bit.
We start these sessions by the barrier at the back of the tennis court, head along to the bottom of the park and then turn left on to Melville Drive before heading the full length back to the other end of the park, a quick sharp turn and then short burst to complete the loop back at the tennis courts. This week we had the same group as last week with myself, Colin, James and new boy Bryan. Jenny, fresh of wining a 5k race the night before, also joined us for the first rep but then moved back a group. We decided to take it in turns to pace the group and I was volunteered first, again. That seems to happen quite a bit on Thursday’s and it always seems to be Colin who is volunteering me. I’ll have to be quick to nominate him next week.
I felt pretty strong, fit and comfortable on the first rep. The stiffness in my legs melted away quite quickly and my chest felt neither tired nor laboured as we moved down towards the bottom of the park and the turn. After a mile I quickly glanced round and saw that Colin, Bryan and James were still with me and we worked really hard together for the last half mile of rep, particularly at the end where we had to fight against a stiff breeze. We crossed the line in 8minutes and 3 seconds. Not bad. I’ve done this session a few times earlier this year, however, I have done 5 not 4 reps. My times have generally been around 7.50-8.05 for each effort, particularly when I was in good form in the run up to my April/May half marathons. So I was pretty pleased with the first rep tonight, as it was just inside what I would call a good time.
Colin led the second rep and straight away I could tell we were pushing a little harder. When we reached the bottom of the meadows and made the turn to come back Colin pushed on. I was determined to not to drop back so forced myself on his shoulder. I could see Bryan just to my left, but James had dropped back. He had also raced last night too and was clearly tired as a result. I don’t know if it was because I was sitting so close to Colin’s shoulder, but he kicked on again as we approached the last half mile and at this point I felt my lungs really start to work hard just to keep me in the group. We held the strong pace right through the last bend and into the wind crossing the line in 7.52. It was a good, fast time and I was delighted. This was the kind of time I would have been expecting of myself before my holiday.
It did, however, come at a cost. My lungs were aching and burned with the effort. My legs actually felt fine, which was good, but I could just feel that my lungs were not quite catching the breath I needed to recover in time for the third rep. It was a bit like Tuesday where I struggled to get myself back together after the first two sets. I think this is because I am still forcing my way back to full fitness and also I have run an awful lot of miles since I have been back (213 miles in 17 days), so undoubtedly my body is tired too. I definitely hadn’t recovered as much as I normally would have by the time our two and half minutes were up. Bryan led us out and he set off at a very fast pace. James decided to drop back a group, so I stuck with Colin and we both tried to hang on to Bryan’s pace. After about a quarter of a mile my mind told me that my lungs were still too sore and shattered to keep up and although my legs felt fine (ish) I dropped back and watched as Colin pulled away from me to catch Bryan and then the two of them pulled further away together. I also think my mind gave up a little too soon here as I think I could have made more of an effort to give chase. Instead I cruised the last half of the rep and eventually crossed the line in 8.15. I was not happy. I wasn’t expecting to run another 7.52, which was what Colin and Bryan managed but I would have expected at least 8.05. I shouted a little bit and then pulled myself together and told myself to put in a little extra effort for the last rep and get back towards the 8 minute mark.
The last rep we set off together and the three of us worked as a team pushing towards the end of the park and then the turn. I knew straight away that I was running better than the third rep and although after half way Colin and Bryan pulled away from me slightly I hung in and forced myself not to let too much of a gap form, which is what I should have done on the third rep. I crossed the line 7 seconds behind them in 8minutes 3 seconds the same time as my first rep. I was a lot happier. I am quite sure I could have done a fifth rep at that pace too. It may be that if I had done my second rep at that pace, instead of the super fast pace of the other two then I would have ran better in the third. Clearly I am capable of the speed, but as I am getting back into my running I still need a bit of time running at slightly slower more consistent speeds rather than one super fast rep followed by a very average one.
Still, overall I am happy with my effort tonight and know that things are slowly getting better. I am certainly loads quicker than I was last Thursday and the Thursday before that. I actually felt better after the session tonight than I did before it and I had to restrain myself on my run home, as I felt my legs turning over very quickly. I am still not sure how quickly, as my Garmin is still looking for a satellite. I wonder if all the Garmin satellites are in France looking after their riders on Le Tour.
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