A week on the run - Sardines for breakfast

Monday

I have less than 6 weeks left until the Lakeland 50. Ever since the Mallorca Ultra I have been putting my feet up really and this week I decided that, if I am going to give it a go in the Lakes, then it's now or never.  To get the sessions in I took full advantage of the commute to work run. I am increasingly appreciating the pleasures of this at the moment. In understanding the satisfaction of the commute to work run, the folowing formula is vital:

Time lost to running = normal commute time - running commute time.

In other words, the only commitment of time spent running is that spent over what you would normally have spent sucking on someone else's exhaust fumes in traffic. In some urban instances I can imagine that this time could be close enough to 0mins!

 

Anway.....Monday's run was a good blast over the Cotswold hills from Bath via the long distance footpath, up to Kelston Round Hill and then a fantastic steady descent from the ridge to North Stoke with views to the south of the Avon and the Mendips beyond. I arrived for that endorphin drenched shower just in time. I then rushed into a 8:30 meeting to discreetly see my way through a tin of recovery sardines and rub the welts from stinging nettles that were just coming up nicely.

Tuesday

 

Celebrating James' bday at the Pultney Tavern

Tuesday was track night! After a nice little warm up with the kids at school at Athletics Club and then a balmy ride home on the route 4 to Bath it was up to the club for some speed! 24 x 100m reps in 4 sets of 6, with 3 minutes rest, and 100m jog ons between each 100m within the set. Blimey. Then it was Paul King's core class which is always a big gurning session. After this we needed cake and lots of it. That's my big training tip for this post really...oh and to take advantage of 2for1 night on food at the Pultney Tavern on the road that the Bath Half starts on. 2 portions of seafood linguini and a pint of Otter- bosh!
 

Wednesday - is double day!

I hadn't run a double for over two months and so I took a pretty straightforward 10k route along the canal path to work and then back home again. Some tightness in the achilles after all that springting last night but it felt good to be clocking up the week's miles and drifting along with the pollen seeds in the pre 7am coolness.

 



Hot air balloon top left and Keynsham  village church barely visible right of shot on the horizon

 

Thursday

 

Just the usual bike commute to work. Gotta get that balance right!

 

Friday

 

Homeward bound on Friday - Kelston Round Hill in my sights top left of shot

 

Ran a solid double today starting with a really fresh morning session through the wheat fields. Explorative shoots of brambles and ferns are trying to build bridges across all the footpaths at the moment. The scratches they leave are worth it for the variety they provide to otherwise tame footpaths. Popping out of one of these verdant tunnels I run into some rowers who are getting their boats out of the water at Saltford. They too are rife with that early morning post exercise glow. I loop around on the way home to take in two good Cotswold climbs: up to the Roundhill first and then down to Wooley before climbing up to Little Solsbury Hill via Swainswick.  I clock 55 miles by the end of Friday with plans to push it out to 70+ at the weekend.

It's suprising that Strava says I got so much in. But those work miles are really the way forward I think. You definitely stick it to the man like this. Just don't let on to him how much you are enjoying yourself!