The Empire Strikes Back

This time with a vengeance!

Following on from the long run on the 20th Feb, Darth Jim seems to have invented some new and wonderful ways of killing us off, possibly whilst plotting the demise of the universe from his Death Star base (located somewhere in Hebburn, and rumoured to be the home of a canny bacon buttie).  On Tuesday 22nd, he had us running up and down Field terrace again, this time with a twist - run along not one, but two of the streets at the top, just for an added treat.  This brought the session in at 5:75 miles, add in the warm up & down and you're looking at a lot of running time.  I'm putting this in the diary as "Springfield ++" with the notation "bloody knackered"

Thursday 24th had us on the track doing 12 x 500m (50 walk, 50 jog recovery).  I started off with Frankie (Why oh why do I do this, when I know that he's a machine, and I'm a mere human), then realised on rep four that I was doing Wrekenton cross country on Saturday).  So I pulled it back a few seconds per lap and settled down a bit.

2:04, 2:04, 2:04, 2:04, 2:10, 2:10, 2:10, 2:10, 2:10, 2:10, 2:11, 2:10

Not too unhappy with that - it's a canny pace for the distance - 6:52 minute/miles

Saturday 26th was the harrier league @ Wrekenton.

It was a fairly unremarkable performance at Wrekenton cross country, which saw me (and everyone else) ankle deep in mud, and I got round the 4 mile course in 33:54

I was thinking it was a bit of a damp squid ending to February.  As it happens I looked back on the monthly mileage and at 121 miles it was my highest month since August 2008!  This does appear to have had an effect on my overal speed, with an absolutely cracking start to March this week.

Evil Coach Darth Jim's words of wisdom were shouted at me on the first rep on Tuesday 1st

We were doing 5 x 1 mile (which was actually 1.05 miles), round Wood terrace opposite Monkton Stadium.  I had started a wee bit quickly (as per usual), but after 400m realised that Frankie "I'm on iron tablets" Devlin was using some kind of Force of his own, and had taken off like a racehorse too.  So I pulled it back a bit and settled in at best whippet-speed. 

Halfway round the one and a half lap loop, Darth Jim shouted his "Be consistent" but since I was running with Peter & David right next to me I figured if I could just make it round without losing too much ground that would be a decent effort.

First mile done in 7:19, which wasn't too bad having to dodge wheelbarrows, scaffolders, dog walkers and young kids (one of which was almost ran over by Frankie).  I was hoping to do the next four reps in around 7:20, but came through in 7:11, 7:11, 7:11, and 7:11 - how's that for being consistent? !

To be fair I think Peter helped massively on the last two reps, as he was pretty much setting the pace on the last 800m, but I'm not knocking it - 7:11 is 7:11, regardless of how I got there :D

Weirdly because of the extra point x of a mile each rep, the overall stats for the session showed the average  pace at just under seven minute miles - 6:52 to be exact.

I just bimbled around with the dog on Wednesday after finishing work late, but Thursday 3rd had us back on the track again for 800s.  I was feeling a bit achy after Tuesday & the cross country, but I thought I'd just try and go for as many as I could before the niggles got the better of me.  On the fourth rep I was feeling that I ought to stop, so I didn't do rep number five.

The session was yasso's 800s - 800 flat out, with a canny recovery (200 walk, 200 jog).  This time I did stick with Frankie for all of the reps (though he did go on to do another 2),

3:14, 3:18, 3:18, 3:18

It's looking good for London, just hope I can stave off any injuries, and keep up the good work.