A SLOW 5K BUT REASSURING

 Whilst the old legs are far from 100% and I have another consultation to attend tomorrow morning,  I did at least manage a full week of training in week 4 of 2011.
 The tortuous 3 on the grass on Thursday was really disappointing but I put it down to running after sitting at the desk in the previous hours which the left leg seems to object to and hoped that I could still mange a better effort on the Nelson track on the Friday morning.
  5K TIME TRIAL  (HOW UNFIT AM I ?)
 The leg held up for the 2 mile warm up and so I clicked the watch for a very tentative 12 and 1/2 laps. The first 5K time trial of the year.  Whatever the time it would tell me how unfit am I and what needs to be done to  get back to 2010 levels. I'll be honest after the previous night anything around 30  minutes would have been a welcome survival exercise.  But  a pain free leg allowed me to knock  out initial laps just over the minute mark and dip under 2 for the last few to record.........25.27.   Over 5 minutes slower than my fastest race time for 5K but very reassuring that efforts to "hang on in there" as I put seem to be working , to some extent.
 AN AWAY DAY 8 MILER...........OK , NOT QUITE A TOWER OF STRENGTH

 We were away over in Boston Spa on Saturday night so Sunday morning's 7 would have to take place on unknown territory.   I did a recce on gmap-pedometer but hadn't expected it to be so hilly.
 Nor did I expect to see such an impressive building as the Catholic church in Clifford village!  I was intrigued as to why a relatively small Yorkshire community should have such a large and seemingly extravagent building.  Apparently, it was built to serve the population of workers from Ireland brought over to work in the local flax mill in the 19th century.  Completed in 1866.
 The undulating tour of  countryside was far from comfortable  but I was able to go over the planned 7 to make it an 8.  So again reassuring in terms of distance as well .
 That made made up 36 miles for week 4 and brought the average up to 24 for the year.  Far below last year's 45 but 48 weeks to go ! Hopefully no more setbacks.