18th February 2007

13 Mile Run = Home – Stanley – Ilkeston – Eastwood – Langley - Heanor

Date: 18th February 2007

Conditions: Dry, Mild

Notes: As you will see below we are now down to double figures until my first ever full Marathon. Ninety nine days to go until Edinburgh and my training is getting more serious by the day. During my first eighteen week ‘base building’ I averaged 6.6 miles per week with 50% of my days either resting or injured. This year I am already up to an average of 15 miles per week with only 40% rest days, and my mileage and intensity are increasing every day. My only worry is a slight strain that I feel in my right leg around mile ten of my long run. Apart from that my training and preparation is going well.
For this weeks long run I decided on a new route, as the Ripley (Death Valley) run was starting to get a little repetitive. I set out towards Ilkeston on a thirteen mile loop, which was my longest run since my first Half Marathon. The first two miles were along the route I often run in my mid week tempo runs, so once I got through Stanley Common I was in un chartered territory and it felt good. The road into Ilkeston is one long road but with many twists and turns, with the occasional hill. The course enters Ilkeston at the five mile marker and by this point I was feeling good and my form was excellent. I had lost a little energy on the climb just into mile six, but once into Ilkeston centre I was feeling fantastic and was approaching the half way point.
As I ran out of Ilkeston I had to run along some grass down a duel carriage way (A6007), and probably looked like a crazed maniac to drivers on the road, but soon enough I was out of Ilkeston and heading down towards Awesworth and the half way point. As I reached the seven mile marker I looked at my watch and had knocked six minutes off my first ever seven mile timed run. This is nearly a minute a mile which shows how far I have come.
The hardest part of this run was the almost two mile run along the A6096 duel carriage way that links Ilkeston to Ikea roundabout (Giltbrook). The road seemed to go on for an eternity but unlike the ‘Death Valley’ run I was feeling good so I never once felt mentally tired. My legs were feeling a little tired but I was running well and soon enough I was at the garage where I planned an un-timed stop to buy some water.
Having re-fuelled and done some very quick stretches I was back running and soon after passing Ikea I passed the nine mile marker. This led into mile ten and the hardest part of the run. The course leads through Giltbrook, up into Hill Top, Eastwood. When I say up, I mean up, as it is one mile of a steady increase with a steep slope to the summit.
Once at the top I was very tired but I knew that the next mile was flat through Eastwood town centre with a decline down to Langley Mill at the other end. Having done it many times now, I concentrated on my form and breathing and was soon back on track and running well.
The flat through Eastwood was a welcomed break from the hill I had just endured and the finale to mile eleven led down to B&Q and towards Langley Mill. I was leading towards the mile twelve marker on Milnhay Road where my form really took a hit. The pain in my right leg was getting increasingly worse and I could feel the lactic acid building in my legs and the energy draining away rapidly. I pushed through the final one and a half miles and finished the run in a good time, but at this stage in my training it is finishing each run rather than how quick I finish each run. Next weeks run will be my longest to date.

Positive: I have knocked nearly six minutes of my seven mile runs.
Negative: I feel that damn strain in my leg at the end of every long run.

Days to Edinburgh Marathon: 99

Fast Mile: 7.36

Slow Mile: 9.20

Run Time: 1h47m26s



“Our patience will achieve more than our force.”