Following the Bupa London 10000 on Monday I felt pretty good the next day and fresh from backing off a little for the previous day’s race – hence the rather swift run on Tuesday evening. My calves were a little stiff thereafter so I took care and left my session for Friday to give them some time to ease up.
My Friday session was very pleasing as I got on with it nice and early before the park got too busy with dog walkers. My normal session around Russell Park is an 870m loop, and I usually do eight at least. For this session I set my GPS for measurement in metres and overlapped the loop to get a nice round figure of 1km. I jogged the loop a few times as warm up to ensure this was bang on 1km – which it was.
I cracked out the session off 90 second recoveries and was well pleased to clock six consistent efforts despite the breeze. This session emphasised that I am fit right now, and just need to show it in some races.
What is evident is that my sessions are certainly as good as those I would have been doing 10 years ago, in some respects I am more consistent from session to session and throughout a series of efforts in a single session than I’ve ever been. This tells me I should be able to race a good 10km this summer before I turn my attentions to Toronto in October.
I’m going to race 10km in Manchester on 3 July – the K Swiss City of Manchester race is apparently a fast course. My training partner Matt Janes is getting fitter and fitter and he’s looking to do some sharper sessions over coming weeks in preparation for the track, and I’m going to get involved in these to bring me on for this race. My 31:47 at London was disappointing and doesn’t suggest anything under 31 minutes is on the cards, but that race was strangely slow for everyone who ran, and I’m convinced my run was worth more than 31:47. I’d like to go quick at Manchester.
Before then I’ve got a 5km and half marathon double planned this week – 5k in Peterborough on the road on Wednesday evening and the half in Southend on Sunday. I hope the recent windy weather blows itself out for these races.
I’d decided on the half marathon a while ago as I felt it came at the perfect time after the London Marathon to offer me an opportunity to run fast. As long as the weather is OK this is what I’ll be looking to do at Southend. The 5k offers a nice opportunity to sharpen myself up. Apart from these two races this is going to be an easy week.
Finally, Mo Farah, what a legend. I stood next to him at the Bupa 10000 and he looked in a different league. All bone and muscle fibres – totally different breed. His 26:46 just five days later in the Pre Classic (beating everybody in the process in the highest quality 10000m of all time – nine men under 27 minutes) was totally up there. Brilliant to be able to kick off that pace so quickly.
M - AM Bupa London 10000 in 31:47 [4 miles warming up/down], PM 4 miles easy
T – AM 5.1 miles easy, PM 8.3 miles at sub 6 pace with last few miles ~5.30 paceW – 10.5 miles at 6.30 pace on a lovely summer evening in the countryside
T – AM 6 miles around Bedford Park then 6 x 100 strides, felt good, especially on the strides, PM 5.1 miles easy
F – AM [4.5 miles warming up/down] 6 x 1km road reps off 90s in 2:56, 2:58, 2:57, 2:57, 2:58, 2:56, PM 6.3 miles around Willington at 6.42 pace feeling tired
S – AM 8.9 miles tired, PM 5.1 miles tired
S – 17.9 miles at 6:47 talking pace with Janesy. Tired and legs weary.
95.5 miles for the week