Training Run 30

This week's training session was on hill reps.  We convened at Primrose Hill on a warm and sunny evening, and proceeded to jog up Primrose Hill nine times (!) in order to practise running down it.  Running downhill is not something that I've had much training on previously so it was useful to learn about the importance of looking up, using my arms to steady myself, leaning slightly forward and running slightly on tip toes.  Primrose Hill is steep though and trying to do all of these things at the same time was challenging!  Running up the hill nine times was hard work, but by the ninth time I had got into the rhythm of it and it didn't feel quite as bad as it had done earlier.  This was a very useful session, all in all.

Training Run 29 - 7 miles / 11.27 km, 58'32''

This was a good, solid, unremarkable Monday night run - 7 miles, there and back, with little to remark on.  I felt much better than I had done the previous week.  Regular practice is key!

Training Run 28

The Wednesday before the London Marathon (which I'm not running) and the coaching team had organised a session on sprinting.  I like sprinting a lot, but it's not something I use very often when running because I am usually attempting to conserve my energy over a greater distance.  Tonight we did nine reps of sprinting for 30 seconds, with 30 second cool down periods between each rep.  This got steadily more challenging as time progressed, and I didn't help myself by setting off way too quickly for the first rep.  By the end of the ninth rep I was physically exhausted, but very pleased that I had been able to complete this challenging session.  I think it shows how much I have improved since I started running intensely again in November last year that I was even able to complete this, as I know I would have found it far too challenging to even attempt it previously.

Training Run 27 - 7 miles / 11.27 km, 1 hr 1'43''

I didn't run last week as I had a bad cold, and although I still didn't feel 100% well today I decided it would do me good to blow the cobwebs away and run this evening.  It was the first Monday run I've done since the clocks went forward and the weather was sunny and warm, and watching the sun set over the Thames in Battersea Park as I ran reminded me of just how beautiful London can sometimes be.

The ground conditions were dry and firm so there were no problems there.  Nonetheless I think my recent lack of practice showed and I felt quite tired by the end, and I noticed this feeling more going around than I normally would do.  I know that this will pass with time however, and that my performance will improve as I get back into more regular practice sessions.  I hope that conditions are like this more often, as I need to get used to running in warm, dry conditions for when I go with the Frontrunners to run the Porto Half Marathon in September.

Training Run 26

This was another training session with the Frontrunners (the first in British Summer Time!), in which we did five reps of 200m at half marathon pace, a 1km run at marathon pace and another five reps of 200m at half marathon pace.  Conditions were warm and dry and although the session was physically demanding I was pleased that I was able to stay the course and run quite hard, even at the end.

Training Run 25

At this session we did four sets of reps, which were 500m at half marathon pace and then 800m at a slightly slower pace.  We repeated these four times with pauses in between each run.  I was pleased that I was able to sustain a steady pace throughout, and managed to run the final set of reps at the fastest pace of all four.