Last run before the ice age!

As the weather men had continued to shout that the world was officially going to end last night and we'd all be snowed in forever and a week, I felt I really had to get my backside out before the pavements spent the next week being covered in a layer of ice. Snow and slush I can deal with but I draw the line at ice.

After Saturday's trip out with eatingtrees, I was still aching quite a bit and didn't fancy this one too much. However, I had a personal battle to win. I had to get myself back under the 9 min/mile pace. I had slowed considerably recently and the last time I went under 9 mins was for the Royal Parks Half in Oct!! That's a long time!

I dressed up in that 'slightly' over-compensating manner and was therefore far too hot within half a mile but rather that than cold at the moment! (I've just calculated and I was wearing 9 items of clothing excluding my trainers!!). Ooops

The route was what I appear to have called my '5 miler - Winter route' on runningAHEAD. In other words, it has street-lighting and paths. Ticks all the boxes for me!! A quick description is first mile is downhill (pace of 7:50) second and third miles are flat (8:47 and 8:15) and then the final 2 miles or so are all up hill (hence pace of 8:58 and 9:17 for the final 1.04 miles).

Net result: 5.04 miles in 43:07. Pace: 8.34 m/m. RESULT!!!!! With some snow in my eyes, some pain in my calves/calfs?, hips and toes (where the sodding hell are my new trainers!!!) and not the most exciting route in the world, I'm pretty happy. Now I just need to keep it up and hope this bloody weather sorts itself by the weekend. I want to pick up the mileage!!

When I grow up, I wanna be a proper runner

I know many proper runners. You know, the 1:3x:xx Half Marathon types. I'm not one of them and never will be but I'd like to at least be a better runner. See I have a dream. My dream is for my PB for a half to start 1:4x:xx by the end of 2009. I have 3 more HM's set for this year (Prague, Down Tow Up Flow and then the Royal Parks). Obviously I can't count Prague as that's in 8 days and taking 8 and a half minutes off in 8 days is not very likely. DTUF is at the end of July and I'm thinking it will be pretty warm but could may be a chance to get in the low 1:50's but not under that. So it looks like it could all come down to Royal Parks. Which is a lot of pressure on one race so firstly I'm thinking of doing the Surrey Badger in Sept (which I'm sure will delight my g/f) but secondly and more importantly, I'm going to change my training, and this.... will be the subject of today's blog. (It took a while but I got to the point eventually).

So currently, when training, I have never run more than 10.1 miles leading up to a HM. I really felt this during 'Snotfest 2009' when in the last 3 miles my legs started feeling so, so heavy. Therefore:

Plan number 1: is that I'm going to increase my longest weekly run, firstly to 12 then maybe onwards to 14/15 miles (that's going to hurt right?) and by that point I'll be running further than I need to so my legs will be used to it and therefore I won't look quite so hideous and close to death by the time I cross the line. This will obviously benefit any spectators too.

Plan number 2: is going to be to start running hills. I cannot explain how bad this is gonna be. I mean, running up hills hurts. I get a burning feeling in my thighs and that's just not healthy! But I have been told on a number of occasions that running hills is one of the best things I can do and I guess I can't really argue considering the person telling me is one of those annoying 1:3x:xx Half Marathon types.

Plan number 3: will be to introduce short sprints to my long distance runs which I reckon will hurt just as much as the hills. In fact, the first (and only) time I ever tried this, across Hammersmith Bridge as a flat out sprint at around mile 4, I'm actually convinced my lungs exploded. I cannot begin to explain how much this hurt.

With all these tweaks to my training, I'm reckoning that it will increase both my strength and lactate threshold and this along with losing a little weight (boo hiss) will help me meet my 2009 goal!

See... Simple. That's all it's gonna take. 6 months of pain, numerous pairs of trainers and the will not to give up and go to the pub!