Thursday 15th February 2007

20 miles
2 Hrs 51 mins @ 8.34 p/m

Longest run to date and passed a pyschological barrier. I was really apprehensive before the run and woke up very early on this day off work. Did I have the legs for a long run at this point in the training schedule? Would the injury niggles catch up with me, especially the blisters? Well, it all went perfectly and it's a real boost to the rest of the training. Thought hard about the course - tried to limit the amount of hard pavement running but tried to keep it interesting. A seemingly infinite variety of old skool tunes (thank god for iPod's) took me up the canal past Northfield, back down the Rea Valley Cycle route (with a couple of loops of Canon Hill Park) to town, and over to Winson Green and back on the canals. It was a mild and cloudy morning (a few sunbursts) and I managed a very even pace throughout. The miles rolled by and although the legs are feeling a little heavy now, I didn't feel spent at the end. Maybe I just didn't work hard enough. Think I've nailed the blister issue once and for all - Hilly Mono socks (for x-country) have ceased the problem since I started wearing them, and the water bottle belt was adequate for hydration on the way round. All in all I've settled now on my ideal long-run gear which will help with the rest of the training. Time wise, although a training run, it was bang on for a 3.45 marathon. Reading through the RW schedules and their long run recommended times, it probably lends itself more to a circa 3.30 time, so I'll have to see how it goes. With a couple of 20 mile races coming up (Gloucester and Ashby), now that I have a 20 miler under my belt it will be useful to see how training times compare to these. Split times - 10m @ 1.26, 1/2 marathon @ 1.52.

So, still a couple of months to go but I really couldn't feel more positive. I guess putting in the mileage over the past couple of months is starting to reap dividends. With Sian and the boys away, relaxed for the rest of the day - sorted the garage and visited Paul, Gave BVH a miss (and will rest tomorrow) as Mark is leaving Brum next week, so off to see him off down the boozer .... a well, deserved pint, I think!