Only 9 weeks to go! We're into single figures which seems too close for comfort, but in reality that's still over two months away (just).
When I wrote last week it had already started to snow and come Monday morning there was a covering of wet snow on the pavements and plenty of slush on the roads. So once again it was on with the Yaktax, so I was able to get in the miles - if not the speed.
By Tuesday the snow had all gone so normal service resumed with the 'cutback' week. I managed to get all the sessions in, although due to a dodgy stomach wasn't able to get the 9 miles at 8:30 min/mile pace and the 12 miles at 9:30 m/m in on consecutive days as planed. Instead I had to take a day in-between, but then ran them both quicker than planned so hopefully that will make up for it. Wednesday's session which had a planned section of 3 miles in 21 mins - I managed 21:09 which is quicker than I've done for a while so that's promising.
This coming week should contain a couple of faster sessions - which I don't really enjoy. One is 3 lots of 1 mile in 6:45 and the other contains a middle 4 miles in 28:00 or 7 m/m. I was watching Mo Farah on Saturday running 3000m in 7:42 - that's 1.86 miles - so a pace of 4:08 m/m. I can't even do that for 200m and this was an comfortable race! Just had a look back at some of last year's sessions and found an interval session with a 200m in 42s - so that's 5:37 m/m pace. With the news this week that Mo Farah is going to run the London Marathon - I guess he won't need to worry about me!
The main session this week is of course the long run - which this week will be up to 19 miles. Then it will be 20 miles the following week. After that, in terms of long runs, there will just be two more 20 milers before the 26.2 on April 21.
I'm running for Christian Aid and you can sponsor me at www.virginmoneygiving.com/keithtarring
