Variety is the spice of life.....

and it is good when running!

RECOVERY
After the Canterbury 10 on Sunday, I was suffering with DOMS on Monday which to me shows I didn't do enough stretching afterwards. So Monday lunchtime I went out with Jamie (My mate from work who is training for his 1st Marathon). He had done a 9 miler on Sunday, so was also suffering a bit. We must have looked like a couple of 80 year olds as we hobbled the 1st half a mile as we loosened up. We did an easy recovery run, 3 miles at just under 11min mile pace

INTERVALS
On Wednesday I did 5.5 miles with some intervals thrown in. I found it tough going but it was a good session to get the heart pumping

THRESHOLD
Friday was one of those days! And I don't mean that in a negative way. I plotted a new run on Mapmyrun that would mean I could loop back rather than have to go down Regent's canal and then back again. The sun was shining, the wind was behind me and after easing into the first mile I picked up the pace and basically managed to maintain it? 6.5 miles with an average moving pace of 7:40m/mile. I was very happy with that. As I said, one of those days!
Threshold Stats


FLYING LESSON & A SANDWICH
Not quite what you think. Petts Wood Runners are part of KLAN which is the Kent & London Athletics Network. As a result of this a 'flying coach' visit had been arranged where a professional coach would provide a training session and a Q&A session afterwards geared towards Spring Marathon training.

I was looking forward to this as the coach was no other than Nick Anderson who had coached me last year for Project 26.2. After going to Norman Park to watch Mich run Bromley Parkrun, I made my way to Beckenham Runners HQ. There were 13 of us in total from PWR & BRC. After a 5 min jog warm up, Nick put us through our paces with a 'sandwich session' which was 3 x 2 min 5k pace intervals sandwiched between 2 x10 min threshold sessions. A good workout and a good hours chat afterwards with Nick providing his expert knowledge, all accompanied with tea and choccy biscuits.

Everybody said they found the session useful and all came away more positive about their Marathon training. The only downside, was I forgot to get my Garmin off Mich before I left so was having to keep asking others the time when trying to judge the runs.

MUDDY (K)NIGHTS
Saturday night, Petts Wood Runners resident 'fruitcake' er I mean Ultra Runner Jerry had offered to take anybody daft enough on a night run through the woods. 9 of us met up at 19:50 in a variety of Opal Fruit coloured jackets and an equally diverse range of head torches.

Bright at Night

Once Jerry had given us our briefing on safety, etiquette and general rules he led his Knights into the woods.  I was in stitches as there were constant squeals from some of the girls as they were trying to avoid the mud (a futile effort).  We covered 6.4 miles and the run was tough, muddy (very) but thourougly enjoyable and as Jerry said it is more of a sensory exeperience. 

The clouds had cleared which meant it was a very chilly evening, but this also meant once in the heart of the woods with no light pollution penetrating, we stopped to look up to see a diamond encrusted sky.  This type of run was a first for me, but definately something I want to repeat, as I said, thouroughly enjoyable and 'variety is the spice of life' 

Once again, in ensuring I had torch, keys, gloves etc,  I forgot my Garmin, leaving it on charge in the kitchen.  Twice in a day, what a numpty!

Until next time
TJH