So here’s the plan. While the roast dinner is being made, I’m going to write this, or part of this blog, and not scoff the wine gums from the Chester 10K goody bag. It’s going to be hard.
It was a big race, with over 3000 people toeing the line, including the likes of Birkenhead born Jonny Mellor, who has a marathon best of 2:10:03, and Scott Overall, who is a British Olympian, running the marathon in London’s 2012 Olympic Games. I saw Jonny, tear back to the end as I was still working my way out to the half-way mark. He and second-placed guy were virtually neck and neck and looking like they were sprinting in a hundred metre race, not a 10K one. It was a privilege to watch them whizz by as I chugged along.
It was a nice day for a run and I’m glad I was with the 9am wave as it was starting to get decidedly warm as I was making my way back, and seeing some of the 9.30 starters head out. Considering that only two mornings previously, Bebington was covered with more snow than I’d ever seen in this place, and an army of snow-people (well, alright, about five) had been built, today I was glad I had found my shades, and wished I had fished out my short shorts.
The week has been a little strange, with the weather, and also with a surprising sense of deflation after doing so well in the 20 mile race last Sunday. It wasn’t that I’d lost my joy of running, but, alongside the obvious physical fatigue, there was a bit of a mental tiredness too. It could be to do with my period coming this week, or perhaps it could be that my gammy right leg is still giving me jip, but it is something I have felt before. Although I knew my race last week was just part of the training, it was still a big hurdle in the calendar to overcome. The irony of getting over that hurdle had given me a mini version of the post-race blues.
I think I’m over it now, hopefully, following this fun run in the sun today. It feels nice to be able to call a 10K a ‘fun’ run. Obviously it depends how much effort you put into it regardless of your fitness, as to how much you enjoy it. I didn’t rinse myself, like Jonny Mellor, but I didn’t coast. I just enjoyed the feeling that I was going at a decent clip (for me) without busting my lungs or hurting my body. Only last November, I was working really hard to go below the hour. Today I did that without trying. Oh, and I high-fived the chicken.
This is a long period of training, and that mental fatigue is bound to set in at some point. But, taking a moment to see how far I’ve come, and how much stronger I’ve got is great. Hopefully, remembering this will give me the impetus to keep going for the last five weeks before my first marathon of the year.
I have saved the wine gums. I may take a few for tomorrow’s long run along the Wirral Way with Emily from the club. She’s faster than me, but doesn’t mind trotting at a slower pace and it would be good to have the company to make the miles go quicker. I have also been getting back to my yoga in the last few days in the hope of helping the ailments in my leg. Will keep you posted on how that works out.
This is my weekly roundup. I will still give the plan according to Ben Parkes, but for at least this week, I have completely disregarded his advice. I’m not at the stage of being able to do 20 mile runs for the four weeks on the trot as he suggests on his intermediate plan. And maybe I’ve got plan-following fatigue too. I may try again next week, or I may ditch it. We’ll see.
| Day | What I Did | What Ben Wanted Me To Do |
| Mon | A gentle swim, jacuzzi and steam in the pool that Anne goes to. | 5 miles easy with 5x strides |
| Tue | Club run The (nearly) 5 mile handicap in reverse as I didn’t have the legs to race it. 4.82 miles [7.72 km] Avg pace: 10.46 m/m [6.5 m/km] | Rest |
| Wed | Missed my strength class today but did manage 30 mins of yoga | Intervals 10 x 2 mins with 2 min rest |
| Thu | 30 minute yoga | 4 miles easy run Strength training (30 mins) |
| Fri | A slow jog around the snowmen of Port Sunlight 5.22 miles [8.4 km] Avg pace: 12.01 m/m [7.46 m/km] 30 mins yoga | Rest |
| Sat | Parkrun + a half mile warm-up run (needed to add this bit to round up to 20 miles for the week) Parkrun bit was: 3.1 miles [5 km] Avg pace: 9.07 m/m [5.64 m/km] 30 mins yoga | Long run 20 miles! |
| Sun | Chester 10K 6.2 miles [10 km] Avg pace: 9.35 m/m [5.81 m/km] 30 mins yoga | Rest |
theleadlesspencil 
Terrific
Awesome job, Rita! I love how you balance other activities in your training schedule, like yoga and swimming. Praying that right leg stops giving you trouble.
Rita! I am in awe! Enjoy the wine gums and whatever treats you can consume because everthing in moderation is gravy baby 😂 (my roast dinner ref). Balance is key.
As you acknowledged the post run blues, its good to acknowledge our bodies are machines but our mind is not.. Full of electrons and nerves, sometimes it is ok to, well more than ok to allow it to rest and recover.
You already have the perfect solution for this. Listening to you body, serving it up ( 2nd roast ref 😂) some downtime on the mat – ALL the mindfulness and slower pace coming from your yoga practice will not only serve as a great desert ( 3rd post roast ref 😉🙄) for your physical body but also your mind.
Keep going 👌✌️
I think you read Anne’s mind as she made a roast for us on Sunday evening Bev! And I definitely had dessert 👍🏽