Last few days

That's week 3 completed - 1/8th of the way through the training already and into a cut back week next week.

Pleased with the week. 30.53 miles completed with no great ill effects other than a ruddy great blister on my left little toe.

Yesterday's easy 5 mile run at 8.39 a mile was pleasing simply because it was completed on a treadmill. I find them really hard work as I get hot and don't like the fixed pace or lack of scenery. Yesterday's wasn't made any easier by my forgetting the iPod. I don't normally run with music but can make an allowance in the gym. That left me with 3 of the screens directly in front but no sound. I was distracted momentarily by a music video featuring one of Girls Aloud (not sure what they call her) where she sometimes appeared in stockings and suspenders but it was transient relief from the boredom, particularly as the other 2 screens were showing the tedious pursuit that is rugby union.

At one stage I considered pausing at 25/30 minutes and do my resistance exercises ahead of the final minutes running but in the end I saw it through OK in one go with the only real problem that of the afore mentioned blister.

Today was the endurance run - 10 miles along the canal. I deliberately got up early as its Charlotte's birthday and left home about 7.30. That meant the canal was quiet, misty, cold but still. With the sun low in the sky throughout, the water still and reflecting the skeletal trees, and various sections accompanied by the sound of cows mooing in neighbouring fields it was quite a pleasant run.

I ignored the time almost completely, just aiming to run at an easy feeling pace, and found I'd averaged 8.53 with the first mile at 9.34 but getting fairly consistently faster mile on mile until the last at 8.20. That's nicely on track with the prescribed targets.

Diet hasn't been so good the last few days. No binging but just not particularly tight either. That's OK. Off for a birthday curry this evening.