Improvements

I've still been feeling good since my last blog and did an hour easy running on the treadmill yesterday at 6am and managed to not even think about walking any of it. Today it was intervals I had to tackle, and they have been leaving me feeling very demotivated and inferior of late. I decided to take the same approach as I did with the XL long run on Saturday and decided to take it easy and just get through it with no negative walking. Luckily the loft was lovely and cool today (isn't it surprising how quick the Autumn comes around?) so, although very slow, I did a 10 minute warm up followed by 10 minutes at 9.14mm pace and then 2 further intervals at 9.04mm pace. I really had to push myself on the last interval and even got sick in my mouth twice!!! That's never happened before!

So, I'm only about 30ish seconds per mile in pace slower than the fastest intervals I've ever done, so that's not bad considering everything has gone a bit pear shaped lately. I finished feeling great (although couldn't eat or drink a thing for about 20 minutes because I felt a bit yucky) and hopefully that's another mental block removed from training.

I'm still searching for an ultra to do at the end of the year/beginning of 2014 and found one that seems good but looks very difficult too. In order to do it, I'd have to learn to map read (so Graeme has kindly offered to teach me) and I really WOULD have to recce the route and do some of my training on the course. The location isn't far from me and Graeme said it would probably be a good idea to go there for the weekend. I'd like to do it, but I need to make sure it is within my capabilities. There are steep ascents (which doesn't really scare me... I think I'd like that) but the main consideration will be the weather as it will probably be cold, windy and snowy. It's the sort of weather that one day I'm going to have to cope with... so why not now? Hmmm... anyway, I DO have my reservations about it so I've emailed William and Shaun and asked their opinion. I know they will be honest with me!