Race kit

I don't know whether I'm on my head or my heels lately. Work seems to have exploded into a manic busy blur and I hear my receptionist saying to everyone on the phone, "I'm really sorry, we're fully booked... she's going on holiday next week you see, so you can imagine how busy we are". I seem to flit from one appointment to the other and I don't even have time to think about going away next week. Pack? You must be kidding.... I don't even know where my suitcase is.

I got home today after a shorter day due to a clients hearing aids not being delivered in time for their fitting (so that's tomorrows appointments scuppered as I have to tag a one hour home visit fitting on to my already hectic day), so I decided to use the time wisely and I did my one hour run on the treadmill in full race kit. Sorry... but going outside in 4 degrees wearing a vest and shorts was simply not an option.

I did the first 10 minutes at 10mm pace with 3 minute walk breaks and then upped the speed to 9.15mm pace. I was shocked at how good I felt. I don't think I've ever felt this good after an 18 miler run at the weekend by Monday. I hope it continues! Needless to say 9.15mm pace is far too fast for marathon pace for me, but I felt up to pushing it today to that speed so why not?

I have decided to go ahead with the 20 miler on Saturday. The scary thing is that I found last weeks' run really tough with an accumulative ascent of 1004 foot... the 20 mile route has accumulative ascent of 5543 foot. I think it's going to hurt!

I looked back through my running on Fetch before Florence marathon (where I got my PB of 4:42 ish) and the runs preceeding Amsterdam marathon (where I was about 4 minutes outside my PB). The 18 milers weren't good... around 3 hours 33 (I have just done the 18 miles in 3:16) but the 20 miler training PB was 3:34 and I was ecstatic to do it so fast. Hopefully I'm not far off achieving that on an 8:4 run/walk. I am probably coming across as hoping for a PB in Grand Cayman but I'm honestly not. I want to get through it in good enough shape to carry on with the long runs of 20ish miles very soon after getting home. I'm certainly looking at the bigger picture, but it's very good to see I'm close to achieving a similar time for my 20 mile run as I did a year or so ago. Will I be disappointed if I'm nowhere near 3:34.... probably, but that's just me.

I haven't heat trained anywhere near as much as I'd have liked in the last fortnight because I'm so busy at work, so I'll really have to try and knuckle down on that score. The heat in Cayman will undoubtedly cause me problems if I don't sort something out soon. I'm really looking forward to the spa weekend where I'll get the chance to do quite a bit in the sauna, oh, and I'll be on my taper then. :-)