SNOD training update

I touch wood as I say this but I don't think my marathon training has ever gone as well as it has/is this time around. Previously I have trained just as hard but the timing has been off and I either peaked too early or worn myself out prior to race day. This year things feel different and it all seems to be coming together very nicely indeed. I'm two weeks out from SNOD now and just finished my biggest week of training - 72 miles in 7 days. This included two sub 2:30 20 mile training runs of the hilly Leighon 10 course which has been my playground over the past month or so. My pace is the best its ever been and I think I'm finally finding the missing part of the jigsaw to my running - speed endurance. Definitely something that was absent in past campaigns.

The trick now is to consolidate my training in the final 2 weeks without going over the edge. I'm dropping the mileage but will be keeping up the intensity in all my remaining sessions. Last night I completed a 6 mile blast around the track in the dark with metal music pounding my ear drums. It was great and my perceived effort was low considering I maintain just over 6 minute miling all the way. Today is another track session. This one will consist of 10 x 400m reps. Should be fun.

So all being well I would like to think that I can better last years PB of 3:26 and go sub 3:20 which for SNOD would be awesome! But the greatest unknown will be the weather and if history is anything to go by it doesn't usually favour the PB hunter....