11th February 2007

10 Mile Run + 1 Mile RR = Home – Denby – Ripley – Codnor – Heanor - HGS

Date: 11th February 2007

Conditions: Mild, Windy

Notes: Having had a tooth extraction and heavy snow storms earlier in the week my Sunday long run was only my second outing of the week. Yet again however my preparation had much to be desired as I had a few drinks the night before and an appalling pre-race meal of a ‘kebab’.
I awoke late again and it was gone 1pm before I was on the road. As my physical preparation was so bad I was determined that my mental preparation was at it’s highest or I knew I would be in for a hard run. As I passed through the first mile I knew that my mental approach to this run was going to play a huge part in determining the outcome of the run.
Halfway through the second mile brings the first hill and it was a struggle to the top but I was never going to stop and once over it I was fine again. Once over the hill the course leads down towards Denby Pottery and what I am now calling ‘Death Valley’. My reason behind this is that on my first attempt I had to pull out along Death Valley due to injury, on my second attempt I nearly pulled out due to almost being sick and this time I just seemed to run out of energy. What I realized was that it was not physical energy I was lacking here, it was mental energy. Every time I hit this point in a race I also hit a low point and mentally it is always the toughest part of this ten mile loop. I told myself this and by the time I reached Ripley and mile five I was felling good and my energy levels were right back up.
With Death Valley behind me I breezed though the next few miles and by the time I reached Codnor and mile seven I knew that my physical preparation would not affect these last few miles as I always finish races/runs far better than I start them.
The hills through the last few miles were tougher than my previous attempt but I used my knowledge on how to approach them and soon enough I was in Heanor and into my final mile.
The final mile was tough and the climb up Nelson Street really took its toll as my legs were so tired from the lactic acid build up. I pushed through the pain and fatigue and finished the run in almost exactly the same time as my first attempt so my pacing is pretty good. The only downside was that the phone I used to time each mile got damaged and I only have my first and second mile and finish time, purely down to memory.

Positive: I finished the ten miles within a minute of my previous effort.
Negative: My preparation has to improve dramatically now my long runs are getting serious.


Days to Edinburgh Marathon: 105

Fast Mile: 7.27

Slow Mile: ?.??

Run Time: 1h22m11s



“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage.”