Amsterdam-Week 11

The week in numbers (so far)...

Miles ran: 34.71
Times I've been to the gym: 0
Alcohol drunk: 2 bottles of red and some pub beers
Chocolate eaten: 1 yorkie duo
Diets maintained: 1, the Greek yoghurt diet & a pizza 

Weight: 11stone 13lb

It's Tuesday, it's club day and tonight it's track.

So, do I drop a group to D and be sensible? 

Do I run in C and be sensible? 

Or....

Do I go in C and when the group do every rep too fast just stick with it and act like a bit of a dick? 

Answers on a postcard.

Today I decided it's time to start some marathon threshold sessions.

It's officially week 11 but realistically week 4.

So do I do the week 4 threshold which is 6 x 1 mile with 2 minutes recovs. Or do I do the week 11 session which is 4 x 2 miles with 2 min recovs.  

Well like an absolute twat I of course decide to do the week 11 one even though I didn't do week 10 or 9 or 8 or 7 or, well you get the idea. I haven't done a single threshold session and I decide to just knock out a 4 x 2 miler. Oh and then there's the issue of pace, my normal threshold pace when fully fit would be around 7:00-7:15 mile pace. But clearly I'm not fit and not doing anything stupid like trying to hit that pace.

I head off on rep 1 at 7:15 pace. It's uphill and into the wind, I'm struggling already and I'm only a mile in. Dig deep and hit 2 miles and I'm wrecked. I slowed a bit but still a decent time and I feel trashed. Next rep is in 30 seconds.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

2 miles and this time it's downhill and feels easier, the pace is quick for the first mile and then I'm once again wrecked and mile 2 is killing me. I feel absolutely destroyed and still got 2 x 2 miles to go.

I'm at the Sandcastles, I've got 2 minutes to go until I start rep 3 going uphill and back into the wind.

At this point I have to make a decision. Do I sack this off and go home? Do I jog the next 2 reps just to get them done? Do I try and hit the pace? 

And then I'm reminded of a quote from the philopher and all round man of wisdom Graham Hall. He likes to say "if something is worth doing, it's worth doing badly" or something like that.

I on the other hand live by the rule "ah fuck it, I'm going home". But today, it stirs something within me and I think to myself, maybe, just maybe I should grind this out and get it done. Graham is a fat guttsier (is that a word?) runner than me, he can dig way deeper and keep going when in the words of Billy Ocean 'the going gets tough'.   Graham also bears an uncanny resemblance to Billy Ocean i think.

I, on the other hand am happy to quit at the drop of a hat and go home. If my head's not right then I know it's going to be grim and I'd rather not do it and recently my head has absolutely not been right for various reasons. For the last couple of weeks I've been drained, mentally and physically and I'm struggling to pull myself out of it. 

Today, I find my inner Graham and I decide to just grind this fucker out. Rep 3 is awful, it's slow, it's uphill, it's into the wind and after a mile it hurts but I have to finish it. 

Rep 4 to go, just 2 little miles downhill.

I do it. I do it badly. But I do it.

Then I drink some coke and go home.

I work, I smash some more things up in the kitchen, I do all the jobs I should have done yesterday and tidy the house, do some washing, clean the bathroom, have a shower and fall asleep in the middle of the day for an hour.

I wake up and go back to work.

I'm tired.

It's parkrun day. The plan for today is a decent long run and a parkrun tagged on the end.

Up at 6 as once again I couldn't sleep, cup of coffee and a slice of breakfast birthday cake and I've planned out a 12 mile route, the plan is 13 miles at 8:30 pace and then parkrun at 8:00 mile pace.  

Out the door with a gel and some Kendal mint cake and I'm heading towards Deleval, the first couple of miles are bang on where I want them. Through Delaval and back towards Whitley and then up to Tynemouth and back and I'm felling pretty good.

Thursdays twing in the quad feels fine and the pace is picking up, I'm listening to Roots Manuva and as I start heading back to Whitley I realise I'm going to be early as the pace is about 15 secs a mile too quick. So my choice is to add extras on and time it for parkrun starting or do my usual philosophical thoughts of 'fuck it'.

I go with 'fuck it' and stop and have a chat with Tiger at the parkrun start. And then we're off...

So part 2 of the plan here is a parkrun at 8 min miles, mile 1 in 7:45, then 7:40 and then 7:42 and I feel really good. My longest run since the comeback, still only 14 miles but 14 miles pain free and a decent pace.

Home, coffee and then spend the day laying flooring in the kitchen and out to the clubhouse birthday party and the pub tonight.

A sensible bit now....  A massive thanks to those from the group that were able to come along to this, you may have noticed we made up 90% of the people there and it's a really good sign to see, so thank you all.

Want to read all about my London adventure in 2023.

It's mostly about Ben, my sausage dog nemesis and wine.

LONDON CALLING

Well you've read the last two so may as well carry on.

Manchester, so much to answer for.  Yeah Ben gets a mention or two

MANCHESTER  - THE SECOND COMING

All previous blogs are available to read HERE