LAST PIECE INTO PLACE..........PHEW!

  Long runs, tempo runs, track sessions, steady runs, easy runs. Pieces of the training plan jigsaw puzzle. Insert them correctly you complete the picture; although you may not like it!  Try to force a piece into the wrong space, it doesn't fit........you pull it out and look again.  Unfortunately when we force out a wrong piece of training on the wrong day we risk injury and often are; but we can't turn the clock back and change the session, the damage has been done.

       As I sprinted......(OK I know, but it felt like sprinting to me!!)....to the end of the last 600 rep today on the track I was thankful that nothing had pulled or sprained. The final piece of the training jigsaw for Sunday's race had slotted nicely into place. Very relieved.   The old legs had not let me down.   With the 1/2 marathon on Sunday I had brought this week's track session forward from Friday and opted for just 3 miles of "effort" as opposed to 5 (5 x mile) last week.  So 8 x 600 metres today with usual 1:30 (200 mts ) jog recovery. Based on the times achieved 2 weeks ago when I'd done 12 x 600 I felt 2:33 was a reasonable goal.  There was the usual acceleration and a lack of concentration on the 2nd rep.

2:34.4    2:38.2    2:33.7    2:32.4    2:32.3    2:31.4    2:28.5    2:27.7

Average 2:32.3..................approx 6:48 mileing........10K pace.

Active rest for the next 3 days which means a 5, a 4 and a 3: all at minimum effort.  So this week will not amount to a full taper for Sunday.  If it were a marathon I would not have done the speed session today.