Week 13

Well that's it folks. The hard work is done and now it's TAPER TIME!! Well done to everyone on the hard work and training you have all put in over the last 13 weeks. You all deserve to have fabulous races in Edinburgh on 31st. My week has been quite eventful. The club interval session on Tuesday night was great fun. I had said to myself that I really should take it easy after my long run the day before, but I couldn't. I love intervals and just couldn't rein myself in! Wednesday was a rest day. Thursday my legs were very tired so my tempo session was a bit of a wash out. My old injury on my achilles was playing up this week and hurt while I was doing my race pace run on Friday evening. I still managed it, but it was sore. Saturday I decided to spectate at HPTT and had a massage to try and ease the pain before today's long run. I didn't feel 100% last night and was wondering if I would be well enough to run today, but after an early night I woke up refreshed so set off just before 8 to do my 9 miles before Leeds Half. I treated it as a dress rehearsal and had arranged for Jaz and Kara to give me lucozade drinks on route and ran in my new running sunglasses even though it was a rather dull day. I arrived at the start at about 9:20 which was just about right and kept jogging on the spot while we were waiting to start. You all know me so well and I just couldn't keep to the right pace today. It was a race and I couldn't mentally view it as anything else. I kept having to slow myself down, but it was much faster than I have done any of my long runs before. Even the dreaded hell of Stonegate Road felt easy today. By the time I got to Lawnswood roundabout I felt so good I upped the pace for the last 6 miles. I did wonder if it was too fast, but I thought I could always slow down again if I needed to. Getting a hug from Kara on Kirkstall Road was lovely and my energy drink gave me a big boost. Then of course there was the VARR cheering squad outside the gym which gave me a real boost (thanks Tom for yelling at me to slow down!). I didn't lose pace and even the hill by the international pool didn't slow me down today. I finished my 22.22 miles in 3:12:38 which has given me a real confidence boost that I can get under 3:45 and get my gfa place for London next year (my half time was amazingly 1:50 which is only 9 mins slower than my pb). I followed Helen's advice and drank at virtually every water station, had gels at 5, 10 and 15 miles and lucozade at 9 and 19 and it really helped. I didn't hit the wall in the slightest and today was the first long run I have done where I didn't feel it was tough at any stage. So that's it now. I am ready for my taper now and just hope I haven't peaked too soon.