Sub 3

Nice one AW, that would be a big chunk off the 10k PB even in calm weather.

MG3 -- I've been catching up and reckon you're a mystery wrapped in an enigma! From Po10 I see you did 4 10K races last year and the others were 38+ min, so it wasn't just a one-off that your 10k speed was low compared to what one would expect from your HM training runs; but of course your fitness may be very different now. A stupid question perhaps, but how are you measuring your training distances -- the ubiquitous Garmin, or worked out from a map, or what? Could rule out a flattering training distance estimate as a factor there...

Coro -- the very (re)definition of a 'Coro 10' there, great stuff. Did you say what that race was you had coming up in the US? Agonising to see that launch -- in fact when I'm paranoid at work about picking up someone's illness before VLM, or hurting my leg, or whatever, I use a rocket/Shuttle launch as an analogy -- all those months of preparation, the elaborate fuelling procedures, two weeks of count-down, and then it only takes a loose nut and bolt to wreck the whole enterprise for another year...

Day off today after an all-time record 72M week. (MG3 again -- I've done sub-2:50 on about 40 mpw, though I wrecked myself a bit). As I've booked myself into a 15M race next week, tomorrow will be an old-school LSR -- thinking of doing the full 26 for the first time in this campaign in fact.

PP - and I wish I could turbo in the living room I could drool over Susannah Reid early doors instead of looking at the garage door, and it'd save a lot of frozen toes and fingers.

Dids - you're still showing signs of being under the weather - 1/2 pints of beer and thinking of racing 5M !

AW - massive PB, well done.  Things are looking very bright very early on in the process.

LJ - likewise, well done on the PB, especially as part of a longer run.

Jools/PP - I worry that my lack of sleep is holding me back.  Typically on a weekday, I'll sleep less than 6 hours.  Not because I can operate well off that, but just because I'm too bloody minded to go to bed on time.  Good luck to PP (and anyone else) for tomorrow.

CW - what's inspiring this big mileage then?  Have you just fallen for the lure of writing big numbers down on a training log?

13 for me today, and I took in the first/last mile and a half of the Wokingham course, just to remind myself.  Not that I really needed it, but at least I felt like I was doing something.  Bit of a headwind in places, but it's got a whole week to die down.

LD - don't worry, rugby is a proper sport!

TR/PP - I turbo in the living room too (can't afford a garage in the centre of town). Plus, I'm not allowed to turn the heating off or even open a window/door as I get told off by the boss (and can't do early mornings etc. for obvious reasons). Good training for Nice though! The next place should have a garage (not in the town centre).

Coro - I still find it amazing that you can do 10M in training at that pace. 66 mins felt hard to me on Thursday night!

15M for me today at about 7:30 pace, with some faster miles towards the end.

17M today, with 9 as close to target MP as I could get, which meant around 7:05min/mi for those 9. It is a hilly course though and I ran it by effort, so I'm not too worried. Plenty of time yet!

Some great training going on, post Christmas blues seem to be chased away.

Got slightly put off rugby when a friend of mine at school went in for a tackle next to me and was paralysed from the neck down. But I guess injuries happen in everything. Usually enjoy the Six Nations though. Something about the time of year.

Longer run today. Beaches, monkeys and hills. Was tough in the heat but great.

TR does a treehouse overlooking the sea count?! I think I've substituted visible wilderness with chaos in my personal life Seems to help with the writing though I think! 

LD  just saw your kind comment: thank you! Here's hoping. We have the lead actor in place, but who knows?! Got references to marathon training and running into the book!

Sleep (PP et al) interesting. I agree I do think it matters actually. Found when teaching and running on about 5 or 6 hrs sleep that it started to show esp by end of term, which made London tough time of year for me.

Have that post-long run glow at the moment. It feels so great to be back at it.

HR.. good to see you back enjoying the runs after that doom laden diagnosis!

LJ.. congrats on the 5k PB, nice work in the middle of a longer run.

A hearty well done to A W too, 59 secs off a PB at that level is impressive.

Lots of miles logged by SL, good stuff.

Nice long runs from Padams, Dachs & ES.

Hope the very long run goes well Charlie.

TR.. luckily I have a big spare room upstairs for the treadie & a telly so I do get the Susannah Reid experience!  In addition to that two of the Yorkshire weather girls up here are very popular with the chaps!

Got an invitation yesterday to join three lycra clad lesser spotteds on a long run this morning, all younger & prettier than I am.  The 07:30 start was a bit early o'clock for me but I was of course too polite to refuse.  Anyway 15.2m done with charming company taking in a section of Bramham Park, home & hosed before 10am.  

Wardi - nice one with the 15. Great win for the Mags yesterday

Solid long runs form Dachs, Padams, ES

20m for me this morning, 7.47 avg. Aimed to run this slowly as I haven't run a long run since mid November (and I remember Gobi's advice on here a while back about running long runs slowly). Maybe a bit fool hardy to run this far after injury but I stayed relatively near the folks house in London so I could cut it short if need be. Aerobic system is still in decent shape, legs need to catch up though and are fairly mashed but I enjoyed that.

TR: don't know how you keep getting back on that turbo, just thinking about it depresses me; suppose I only relate it to injury. Mine's in the garage too and would probably be more enjoyable if I could watch the telly at the same time.

Notice some talk of Abo. As I mentioned to LS21 on FB, I'm booked up to do the Bournemouth Marathon in October but as I jumped the gun a bit with my £50 I'm beginning to worry as the course isn't out until this month and there's talk of running on both piers; sounds like a gimmick to attract charity runners and doesn't bode well for pb hunting club runners....we'll see. Anyway, think I'm going to add my name to the Abo waiting list just incase.

Getting fitter now with 84 miles this week with 22 this morning run progressively finishing with 7 @  just over 6.30m/m ave 6.57 overall.

HR: I'm picturing you as some Lord Jim/Forest Gump character with the locals trailing you up the beach on your long run ;0)

Good long runs ES, RS78 and Wardi (you old goat!).

I took in something possibly lesser spotted, but not in lycra -- in my long run today I saw a lot of rabbits, a hare, a heron, and two different barn owls. Nature-keen offspring very jealous. I started with 12x Castle Hill (as my race next week has some hills) before heading out to the fens, mainly road but a few boggy bits; grand total 28M @ 7:26/M average, marathon split at 3hr15. It was mainly reasonably comfortable, but then I wasn't pushing the pace. And I felt my form falling to bits in the final bonus couple of miles. Ideally I'd like to be able to find running 26M totally humdrum, just as one does for 13, so I might do some more of these when not doing higher-quality sessions.

Dachs -- the increased mileage the previous week was because of ice keeping me off my bike, so I ran-commuted every day. Which proved I could. Last week I was partly motivated by my weight still showing some post-Xmas lard; I now knew I could run every day; and also higher mileage is something I've never really given a fair chance, so I was just experimenting really. But with a race next weekend, I'll try some short fast runs for the rest of this week for variety, in the hope of getting some much-needed speed back.

Edit (x-post): great quality long one there, Mr B.

Padams - I wouldnt get away with turbo in the living room ealry doors, the whirrr of the turbo would wake up the whole house. The new place will allow you to join me for some early morning turbo sessions.

Wardi - doubly jealous now ! of your fillies and Susannah !

MrB - trouble is you associate turbo with injury. Is abo sold out already ?

well done on the long runs folks, I set out to do 4M loops (although really its 2M one way and then 2M back again), as per last week my knee was aching enough to make me wonder if I should bin it, but just like last week I pushed the pace and it felt easier, although after 16M I had to slow down a bit as I was flagging, managed another loop for the full 20M. I'd say more like being shelled than shelling peas. I need to up the distances of some of my other runs now, which were all 5 to 7M this week.

jealous of CW seeing owls, but he can keep the 26M !

PP should have had pretty decent conditions, there was a bit of a Westerly breeze but Chichester is mainly a North and South race. I bet Stevie G claims there was a gale blowing though !

SL - indeed, first one since last VLM. I bet your 22 was easier than my 20 ! I need my knee to toughen up though so I dont have to keep upping the pace, I'm not fit enough to run 20s fast and its a waste of matches.

looks like it was the usual smackdown at Chichester with the top 20 inside 32min !

Off the sick bed and within 24 hours racing the Alsager 5 miler. Looked like a major race with lots of runners from far afield. I won the V50 category and carried off £65 worth of Helly Hansen gear (well, that's what my £30 voucher got me from the bloke with the stall who was trying to pack up and bugger off home).

Really underwhelmed by the V50 category. Hollow victories at the moment I feel. 29 mins 14 secs was a bit disappointing on a totally flat course - although my Garmin and Er Indoors iPhone both showed 5.1 miles .... that's a big percentage over isn't it? I'd have been happier 50 secs faster. 

Several lesser-spotted in lycra on yesterday's LR - it seems Saturday is more popular than Sunday. I did see a black squirrel as well - famous in Hertfordshire you know!

Boarding a flight to New York now - business, not pleasure. The hotel gym treadmill will be my friend next week.

Yeah - got to accept Garmins are no real guide. I'm used to seeing about 26.4 for a marathon. I think.