Another day and another speed session...

Another day and another speed session! Is this really the same ultra
runner that just ran NDW100. After a day's rest on Sunday I hit the
local RAF Stanbridge track bank holiday Monday for a swift 5 miler.
And after Saturday's 10 mile PB success I had my eyes on another!

On went the Brooks Green Silence racing flats and around I went for
twenty laps of the 1/4 mile circuit. I wore the garmin but only looked
at it once during the whole session - this was at half way to check my
2.5mile split which was 14:50. So a sub 30 minutes was definitely on
the cards but had I gone out too hard?

I was definitely pushing hard but was running with how I felt I should
so I carried on. It got tougher as the laps mounted up not made any
easier by the strong head wind on the back straight, but I felt like I
was just keeping under 6 minute mile pace.

With 3 laps left I made a concerted effort to give it what I had left
and with that I had soon smashed out 20 laps. And as I looked down at
the Garmin it was mission accomplished. 28:54. Nice. My mile splits
were also very satisifying with progressive splits throughout: 5:58;
5:52; 5:49; 5:44; 5:27. And that's without checking the garmin. There
is definitely a lot to be said for running on feel and going with it!
So in week 1 of my 8 week snowdonia marathon training programme that's
2 PBs posted in my first 2 training runs at 10 mile and 5 mile
distance. Most unexpected but very pleasing indeed.

Next up is some cross-training on the ElliptiGO to work on Wednesday
and Thursday which will total 116 miles. Perhaps with an aerobics
session Wednesday lunchtime. Then it's rest Friday and long run
Saturday where I'm in two minds on whether to repeat the Leighton
Tough 10 route again or go slightly longer and perhaps lay down a road
half marathon or even 15 miles. The trails are also calling but
listening to a recent interview on 'Marathon Talk' podcast with world
renowed coach Bart Yasso he insists that trail runners don't do nearly
enough training on the road which promotes far greater leg speed. So
to get faster on the trails you actually need to hit the roads!