Well, I’ve had a very odd running week this week, including the facts that I did my long run on Monday, did longer than I thought because I just CAN’T ADD UP on Saturday and didn’t do what I thought I was going to do on Sunday! But I ran over 20 miles and did 2 hours of yoga, plus two lots of giving back, so that’s got to be good, right?

Monday – as I’m doing this 18 mile Canal Canter on 11 August it was time to fit in one more long run before then. Because I’d done a half-marathon training run with the club on Saturday, I knew I didn’t want to do this on the Sunday, so moved it forward a day, having booked the time off in the morning. Fortunately, this meant I could run with the lovely Claire (and I didn’t fall over this time!)

Liz and Claire at mile 10 (and a bit for me – how does that happen?)

Claire did the race last year so she took me along a chunk of the route for our first 10 miles, we made it to the canal and along the canal, stopping under a bridge where I had topped up my lucozade sport with water but forgot to pause my watch.  And just before the canal was this:

What?? Yes, a ski slope, mere miles from my house

It turns out everyone who grew up in Birmingham or kids knows The Ackers but I was amazed! Did I mention there was a hill LIKE THAT next to it we had to run up?

We then ran back to my house where Claire left me (she lives a few doors down on a road that’s pretty full of runners!) and then I did the last 6 on my own (the wiggly bits on the map to the left. I basically went to the park and along to where running club starts in the winter, then kind of spiralled around, taking out-and-backs down some roads to add miles.

I won’t lie, it was a push, but I will have Bernice with me the whole way round and there are tea and cake stations on the run.

I was quite pleased to get a 12:22 split for my last mile, and my total was made slower by those two miles, in the middle of which I forgot to pause my watch. Gah! Speed isn’t important to me as such but I do like to check that I’m, for example, maintaining a regular pace and not dropping consistency as I tire.

I WAS tired after that and didn’t get much work  done in the afternoon. Temperatures were a LOT cooler which massively helped: I don’t think I’d have been able to do that in the hot stun.

16 miles 13:13 mm

Wednesday – Did Dave’s yoga class and it was a really good one – I’d stretched a lot after the long run and also on Tuesday and that really helped me: usually after an unaccustomed long run it really shows up in my yoga.

Thursday – A coffee with a friend and lots of work filled up a day which it was actually useful to have as a rest day, I think.

Friday – Did Claire’s yoga class which was HARD on the arms and shoulders but good fun. I did request an easier class going into the race next weekend, although of course it’s my choice how hard I push it.

Saturday – I was down to lead the running club’s beginners’ session and thought I was running 8 miles on Sunday so was going to keep it to that. Then plans changed a bit. So I first of all ran down to the Post Office Parcel Depot and ran back clutching an Iris Murdoch hardback novel (in a box in a bag) in one hand.

0.7 mi 11:32 mm

Then I ran to the park for beginners

0.6 mi 10:40 mm

Then I did 4 min run / 1 min walk round loops of the park with four lovely beginners/returners who all did really well, were eager to learn and were ready for more by the end (that’s how I like to leave them, not worn out).

2.07 mi 13:58 mm

Then I did a wild miscalculation, wanting to get to over 4 miles because Sunday’s plans had changed. I also pushed myself a bit as this was my last effort run before the race – achieving a 10:30 mile for the last full mile, remembering arms and flicking my toes down to push the road away (I can only do this for a bit!).

2.2 mi 11:17 mm

So a total of 5.6 miles, making up my total for the week. Oh well, maths was never my forte!

Sunday – Remember how much I enjoyed watching the work of the officials at the British Championships a few weeks ago? And how I thought I might like to do that? Well, I’m hopefully going to be doing the course to start qualifying next month, but on Saturday I responded to a call for officials to help with the Transplant Games and, after explaining that I wasn’t qualified yet, was welcomed there as an official in training.

One of the long jump pits I worked on; discus cage to the right. It wasn’t deserted, I just chose a good moment!

My apprehensiveness was not warranted – I was warmly welcomed, supported and challenged to try out lots of different things in the field, and yes, the field is where I want to specialise. I was involved with supporting the long jump (9-11 year old and 59-69 year old), discus, shot putt and javelin (twice). It was great fun, tiring, but an honour to support the efforts of these excellent athletes. I’ll be completing my first batch of training as soon as I can!

In the week coming up I’ll probably just do club run gently on Tuesday, then it’s the Canal Canter on Saturday – probably my only official race of the year. Wish us luck!

Miles this week: 21.6

Progress towards 1,000 miles in the year: 611 miles (on track)

Wendy’s weekly wrap is here and Holly’s is here