Sub 3h15

Well done everyone on some really fast sessions (Mennania, Frazer, Gul, Martin et al). Some impressive mileage, too.

It's still tipping it down here. My right hamstring, or at least that bit towards the outside just above the knee, was sore after the wet MLR on Wednesday, but seems to be o.k. now. I did 7 miles @ PMP last night and av pace was 7:03mm, although I kept pace pretty steady from the off. Bear in mind that the P in PMP means possible/perfunctory/playing-with-this-as-MP, and is not set in stone by any means. I'm just trying to start getting as specific as possible in my training. As such, I'll try and do a good chunk (6M?) of Sunday's 20-miler at a similar PMP-based pased pace.

Have a great weekend's running, everyone, and good luck to those racing, esp Jools at Wokingham. Do you have a race plan yet?

I'll take a final decision about what perceived effort to aim for when I see the conditions.  At the moment the BBC thinks it is going to be cool with heavy rain and average 14mph winds, which wouldn't be conducive to fast running, so I'd go for PMP rather than PHMP.  If things are better than that, I'll go for PHMP.  In either scenario, run blind and to effort.

Nice run Ant.  MP can/will change as the training progresses but getting specific is what I find works well.

Nice faster stuff Fraser, Gul (and slow this morning as well) & KR.

Jools - If it's anything like I've just ran in you'll want to get it done asap.  Driving sleety rain mixed with snow!!  Good luck and to everyone else running and racing this weekend.

A confidence building progressive long run for me today in the sleet.  6m ave 7.30, 5m ave 7.10, 4m ave 6.58, 3m ave 6.24 and 2m easy.  20.05m in total in 2.23.13 (ave 7.09).
 

That's an excellent long run, Martin - you're clearly in good shape!

Good luck Joolska, I hope you race it. You are going good and I suspect you'll do well if you're not too tired.

Well done Gul, slow is good 

9 miles for me including a parkrun 3rd place in 18:25. Nothing flash but my best for a while. 5:55m pace for the park run and 7:45 over the 9 miles. Tomorrow could be a tough run but 19 would give me a 50 mile week.

Impressive long run from Martin, especially given the conditions. 

OO50 shouldn't be complaining after that Parkrun performance either.

Another 20 miles for me this morning made up of the slightly odd combo of a 7.5 mile trip on the road to the towpath alongside the River Wey and then about 9 miles on a variety of terrains alongside the canal before timing it perfectly to meet up with Mrs L at the Guildford parkrun and run alongside her as a bit of a cool down.

Followed that up with 5 hours worth of marshalling (well, logging the numbers of the finishers) in the XC league match organised by our club. I might just have to focus on some shorter stuff along with the bike riding over the summer and get back into the XC for next winter.

Good to see you keeping busy, Lorenzo.

Very nice paced run, Martin - you are flying even without your fairy wings.

Far from shabby Parkrun by OO.

6M easy this morning before going to work - I'm now off till Wednesday. Why? Carnival!

Good running today OO.

Lorenzo - bet that was a cold 5 hrs after the 20m run.

NEHL XC for me today.  Couldn't really be bothered and almost didn't go but felt if I didn't I'd have to do a tempo on my own.  Anyway..... blooming glad I did, finished in 8th position overall in 28:35 (4 miles, 4 hills, lots of mud). 

Downside 1: been promoted to the fast group so won't finished that high up again.

Downside 2: the next one is the day before my HM.

I've been trying to keep up with the posts on here but not having much luck with work/training/life stuff going on. Still managing to keep to the schedule, although sometimes it has to be rejigged somewhat. This week has included 5 x 0.9 mile intervals starting at 10k PB pace then the last 4 at more like 5k PB pace, a 14 mile MLR, 12 miles with 8 @ MP (6.50, 6.51, 6.53, 6.48, 6.48, 6.44, 6.48, 6.46), 4 easy/recovery runs and a slow 20 to follow in the morning will rack up 72 for the week.

Anyone here running the National XC in Sunderland?

Bloody hell, Speedy - that is a load of quality squeezed into one week! What is going to be your peak mileage? How are you finding things like recovery and nutrition? I'm doing fewer miles with slightly less intensity, having set myself a less ambitious target this time, and yet I'm knackered all the time. And remember, I've got no kids!

Well done, Minni, I'm not surprised you're pleased you went now. Shame the next one doesn't really fit in with your plans. Er, at all.

Martin Great progressive run, again.

Lorenzo Nice 20 miles there, the 5 hours must have been fun. Well done for helping others enjoy running

OO Very impressive parkrun

Minni getting moved to the faster group is greast news.

Speedy Hell of an impressive, intense week

6 mile recovery for me today. Had a heavy night last night and I felt it today. Early night planned.

I don't have any kids either! I always do two quality sessions per week, and 70 mpw is about the usual. Peak will be 86 but that's a few weeks away. Nutrition, as always, is a bit on the shoddy side. Lots of cereal, porridge and toast. It's been particularly difficult with travelling up North and dashing about for hospital visits and such. Recovery seems OK mostly. I had a nice lie in this morning

Evening all
OO - impressive "old git" running there . . . . .top stuff !
Notable long (but differing) running from Lorenzo & Martin
Jools - spot-on - race to feel (but race)- all will be good  . . . . .
Minni - excellent XC racing - top 10 is "nice"
Speedy - great you're keeping training together in the current circs - may you be justly rewarded . . . .

No run here today - had a meeting with Mrs B to discuss "the way forward" this am then Owls v Rams pm. Bot of Sauvignon Blanc + a couple of Magners down the hatch now, and Nick Cave on the music box - all's well - pal coming here at 7:50 am tomorrow for an outing !  We'll see how we go ! 

Struggled with my 20 today. At 10 new it was going to be a war of attrition.  Chucked up at 19 and dragged myself home. My own fault, went way beyond anything else Ive done in one week. I will step back down to the 55 schedule next week

x post Birch - The ship song has to be one of his best, but there are so many. My missus loves love letters - go get her go get her.. Off to put it on myself now

Don't worry Menna, we all have our ups and downs.

Menn That sounds like an interesting run. Surely throwing up can't only be linked to increased miles?

Unfueled run having not eaten since last night. Actually very enjoyable. Too be honest I believe I pushed/worked too hard for an unfueled run. 23:34 miles at 7:51 pace. I was getting progressively quicker. Also equals my 71 miles from last week. I intend to stuff my face for the rest of the day

  nice one Scoobs.

Good luck to Jools and anyone else racing today.

Menn - if my husband wrote me love letters I'd think he was having an affair.

Not the best of running racing conditions - hope everyone got on well.

Me and the missus had a silly hours of the morning you tube music session with wine  as a consequence of the Nick Cave discussion. I can add fuzzy head to my list of ailments now.

My eldest daughter found some letters I sent to my missus when we were kids and it 'totally grossed her out'. 

Scoob - mileage this week was in high 60s andjust under 90 for 8 days - I only ever normally get to low 50s once or twice a programme. Chuck on top of that two 20s in successive weeks and my total indeference to eating properly (I had a vindaloo the night before) and refusal to give up booze and 'Voila'..

Scooby - I will echo Minni's sentiments:. And still enjoyable. Good work, fella.

Mennania - Is your daughter American? If not, you definitely want to have a quiet word with her about that mid-Atlantic nonsense. Does she say "Can I get...?" instead of "Can I have...?" It's a curse. Anyway, not vindaloo, but some dodgy sweetcorn did it for me today, pre-run. Let's just say it was an express weight-loss strategy on my part.

Nevertheless, and with the rain miraculously holding off (it's started again now), I banged out another 20-miler, with 8M @ PMP, i.e. 7:00-7:10mm. Overall av 7:33mm, 137bpm. That makes a 57.4 mile week.

What a difference a week makes...this thing is a goer.