Today I got the most fantastic news - I got the honour of a phone call from Ian Ladbrooke confirming I've been selected to run the Toronto Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon on 16th October for England in the International Team Challenge. It's a full England vest. I couldn't be happier.
It's especially satisfying because I seem to have found a real flow in my running over the last few months after a difficult period. Running round Chicksands Woods last summer with my knee screaming "STOP!" at me after just 10 minutes of running, I could not have imagined getting an England vest over my favourite race distance 12 months later.
My main concern will be ensuring I make the start line in Toronto injury free. It's early days now but I think I'll be looking towards a shorter build up to make sure I peak at the right time - 10 weeks is likely, this worked for the London Marathon this year well enough.
More immediately I've got the Bupa London 10k on Monday, and I'm really hoping for a decent outing. My recent excursions over 10k haven't been that impressive, but since the London Marathon nearly six weeks ago, I've dropped my mileage and added more sessions to enable me to run inside five minute pace. I'm hopeful of going inside 31 minutes, which I haven't done since 2008. My pb stands at 30:34 from way back in 1999. I'm tempted to have a go at it, if you don't go hard you can't find out what's possible.
My last couple of weeks training are below. My mate Matt Janes is back from injury and getting fitter by the day, so we've put some runs together and a very encouraging session of 2 x 3 miles on Tuesday of this week.
Saturday 7 May - AM 4 miles warming up and down, 6 x uphill reps in Chicksands Woods. These are 915 metres with a long drag for the first half and a flat section along the top, they're tough and this was my first session since London. I ran with Rob Heaney and the first effort was way, way too fast [2.40m jog recovery back downhill] 3.01, 3.08, 3.13, 3.14, 3.17, 3.19 (not happy with how we slowed), PM 6.1 miles easy
Sunday - 15.1 miles feeling very sore from yesterday, 6.15 pace
M - 10 miles at 6.45 very tired and very sore
T - AM 6.4 miles steady, PM 6.1 miles with 6 x 100 strides after
W - 6.7 miles trying to get my legs back in order
T - 10 miles of fartlek, feeling better at last - alternating 1 mile at 6.30 and 1 mile at 4.55, very pleased
F - AM 8.15 miles steady, PM 6 miles easy
S - AM 8.9 miles with 10 x 60s/60s fartlek, PM 5.1 miles easy
S - 15.6 miles at 6.43 pace
83 miles
M - 5 miles easy
T - 3 miles warming up, Bedford 6 in 30:56 (2nd to Neilson Hall), 5 miles warming down. Very bad guts in last two miles of race, desperate for toilet
W - AM 6.4 miles at 7.15 pace, PM 7.5 miles at 6.25 pace
T - 10 miles at 6.20 pace
F - AM 5.5 miles of warming up/down, 4 x Bedford Park Reps (1.17 miles) 5.46, 5.48, 5.52 and 5.53 - tired but saw them through, PM 5 miles easy
S - 15.1 miles at 6.45 pace
S - AM same session as 7 May but much better, with Andrew Inskip, 5 miles warming up/down 3.06, 3.08, 3.08, 3.09, 3.10, 3.09 [also did 6 x 100 strides], PM 5 miles easy
87 miles
M - easy off road 7.75 miles with 6 x 100 strides
T - AM 6.4 miles easy, PM 4.5 miles warming up/down, 2 x 3 miles off 5 mins - did 15.00 and 15.15
W - AM 5 miles easy, PM 5 miles easy, tired