It doesn't get any easier. YOU just get faster.

Tuesday 11th March 2014

Running (00:46:01 / 6.2 Miles / 00:07:25 per mile / HRZ 3)
Tempo Run

Bloody hell, I really wasn't expecting that.
My usual weekly lunchtime tempo run with Brendan turned in to something a bit special for me.
over the last few months I have been working on my tempo runs in an effort to increase the pace with the aim that it will translate to my longer slower runs being a bit faster too, and for the most part it has been working.

Just before Christmas I smacked out a 10K (6.2 miles) in 47.36 and couldn't quite believe I had done it.  That was a PB for me.
This run was a step way beyond what I had achieved before.

I felt that there may be a 46 minute 10K in me but I thought it would need to be under race conditions to drive it out of me.
I am so pleased to achieve this PB by over 1 min 35 seconds.  That's a big chunk of time for me over this distance.

It certainly didn't feel easy. In fact I felt a bit ill for the last 2 miles but I just kept pressing on with Brendan who did a great job pulling me along.  I think he had a wee bit more in him to go faster but we stuck together the whole way through.

It's a great feeling to know I am getting faster and the speed is coming back.  I'd love to see this translate well to the longer runs now.  I wonder can I go faster on 10K now???


Cycling (00:53:10 / 14.40 miles / 16.30 MPH / HRZ 2 / Cadence 84)

Because we are finally emerging out of the dark nights and wind and rain and beginning to see a strange big orange thing in the sky, we decided to ditch the Turbo session so that people could get out and enjoy some of the nice weather.

Sadly for me by the time I got home from work and out it was dark but nice and clear.
Following on from the tempo run earlier in the day, Brendan and I donned a ludicrous amount of Hi-Viz gear, donned the lights and reflectors and headed out for a quick two loops of the main roads around Lisburn.

I chose a route which kept us on well lit roads but threw in a few challenges in terms of long flats to really drill it, false flats and some proper hills too.

We didn't hang about and the average pace of 16.3 is pretty decent given that we had 200M (650ft) of elevation in the short distance.

It'll be great when the nights get brighter for longer and we can make a regular thing of this.


Wednesday 12th March 2014

Cycling (00:38:40 / 8.94 Miles / 13.90 MPH / HRZ 2 / Cadence 76) 340M Elevation
Pond Park Hills X 3

I was hoping that the blast on the bike last night and the tempo run wouldn't leave me with dead legs on the hill but fortunately for me it went rather well.

Certainly it was the best of my recent runs up the hill and it still felt tough enough but I was moving a bit faster than usual.

Each set up the hill took the following times 8.36 / 8.49 / 8.39.  I'm pretty damn pleased with these times.

Swimming ( 00:58:47 / 2300M)

A decent session in the pool tonight.  I just wish I had been quick enough to complete all of the Arran's set and increase the distance a bit.
However the consolation was hearing Stanley say " you can't be ahead of me, I'm Fu£%*ing amazing!"  And you know what?  He is!