This week I’ve hit the big 4-0. A move into a new age category and many new goals to aim for.
Oddly since my birthday on Tuesday, my lower back has been sore and I’ve not run a step after trying to get out on Weds but literally making it a dozen steps down the road before pulling up.
I didn’t realise old age got you that quickly!
Last week was great and I feel I’m starting to see some development from pushing a bit harder during my daily runs and increasing my day to day pace much nearer 7/min/miles from my previous easy pace of more like 8’s. I felt it was time last Sunday to do a long run on the flat Trans Pennine Trail at a good effort level and pace to see roughly where I’m at as I look towards starting London Marathon training.
It was absolutely freezing as an early Sunday start on an out-and-back meant I went out a little faster than I’d planned but I felt comfortable at 6:30/miles so went with it. The TPT is ever so slightly downhill on the way out and up on the way back so I got to around 9 miles at that pace and certainly had to up the effort level to bring it home but still, a 1:26 half marathon training run isn’t too bad.
It was however one of those runs where you get to the end feeling pretty knackered and then realise that your marathon goal is 15-20 seconds a mile faster and twice as far. Eeek! Got to trust the training plan I guess.
I’m only a week or two away from starting the Pfitz 55-70 plan which means I need to hit week one in good shape as it’s straight into marathon effort miles in the long run and 55 miles for the week.
Apart from that, steady away and hope my strained back was just a bit of a twinge from lifting my son out of our bed to put him in his own and not the start of my 40 year old body falling apart!
I had a lovely birthday and so many friends and family were very generous so much running swag has been purchased to keep me going.