Stuck in the mud

This weeks running hasn't been the easiest but at least it got better as the week wore on. It felt a bit like todays Maldon Mud Run which I heard about on the radio during this afternoons 12 miler. The 500m race across the Maldon estuary in Essex apparently started, as all good things do, as a wager in a pub. "more difficult than the London marathon" according to the experts.

For a bit of history look here. I cut Tuesday's run in the park short to just over 4 miles as my right calf was still pretty tight after Sunday's race. A 10 mile "barefoot" run in the park on Wednesday left the ball of my left foot quite tender (the gravel/stone paths were the worst - although right foot felt fine so it must be a lingering tenderness from my last barefoot run), some chafing of the unmentionables and a sore right calf. Boy was I glad to finish - why did I not finish sooner? - it's all pain training and i'm a sucker for punishment. I ditched the shoes for wheels on Thursday thinking i'd get in an easy cycle on a 35 mile loop west to Macroom via Coachford and back via the main road. I was fine until I turned into an easterly headwind for the 17 mile return leg and the pace progressively slowed as fatigue set in. This fatigue stayed with me for my 13.5 mile run on Friday morning - legs were leaden. I felt more energised during Saturday morning's 2.25 hour long run over the hilly viaduct loop despite tripping over a cats-eye (caught shuffling) 3 miles into the 16.3 mile run - the pads of my hands came out the worst in the pain stakes but I didn't notice the stream of blood running from my left knee down my leg into my shoe until I had completed the run - no wonder I was getting a few odd stares. While the initial 10 mile hilly section of the run went quite well I was tiring noticeably over the last few miles - residual fatigue.

As this mornings scheduled cycle with Adrian was cancelled I decided to replace it with a run in the park this afternoon to catch up on the lack of mileage early in the week. This was certainly my most comfortable run of the week and the only run at sub-8 minute pace. At last I feel I am coming out of the mud bound week that it was. Conditioning week 7 (Run 56.2 miles, Bike 34.7 miles, Swim 1.875km) Tue 30th Dec 4.23 miles in 37:08 (08:46 @ 125HR) Sleep: 8 hrs 7.5/10 Legs: 5/10 Wed 31st Dec 10 miles in 01:27:42 (08:46 pace no HRM) Sleep: 8 hrs 7.5/10 Legs: 4/10 Fri 2nd Jan 13.56 miles in 01:54:43 (08:28 pace @ 130HR) Sleep: 7 hrs 6.5/10 Legs: 5/10 Sat 3rd Jan 16.30 miles in 02:15:00 (08:17 @ 136HR) hilly Sleep: 6 hrs 6/10 Legs:6.5/10 Sun 4th Jan 12.12 miles in 01:35:26 (07:52 @ 137HR) Sleep: 7.5hrs 7.5/10 Legs: 7.5/10