15th April 2007

15 Mile Run = Home – Heanor – Langley – Eastwood – Ilkeston

Date: 15th April 2007

Conditions: Hot, Sunny

Notes: Today was tough, very tough. The weather for a sunbather was magnificent, for a long distance runner however it was the complete opposite. The sky was perfect blue and the sun was shining down in full force. It was like a hot summer’s day and I had chosen to do my long run at 2pm which basically was the hottest part of the day. What I did realise however, is that if I train in the heat of the day then running in the morning for my races will seem far easier.
I set out armed with my water bottle and felt aches in my legs for about the first three miles. I looked at my watch and I was running fast miles, far too fast for a run as long as this. I tried to run slower but every time I looked at my watch I was still running sub eight minute miles. This is something I will be paying great attention to on my next long run.
By the time I got to Eastwood and mile five the sun was really starting to take its toll and the water I was carrying was starting to warm up. The hill up into Eastwood was long but once at the top I found my form again and began to run well and comfortable. The heat was still a factor but I was getting conditioned the constant heat of the sun.
The next four miles were pretty flat and the run along the A6096 was very tough and I nearly stopped but I told myself that I’m not a quitter and I pushed through it. At the end of mile nine I stopped at a shop to get a drink and whilst stretching outside I dropped my phone and lost my times for the run. This was soul destroying as I use my times as a way of guestimating my overall marathon time.
I set off again and in front of me was nearly one mile of steep hills up towards Ilkeston Town centre. This took a lot out of me and from here on in I really suffered and struggled to the end of the run. I knew that I had ran too fast too soon. Although at the time the pace felt slow, I have learned a valuable lesson and will not make the same mistake again.
The final five miles were a mix of flats then slight inclines. These were tough and my legs were crying out for a rest. Eventually I had to stop and this was a fatal error. Once going again it was not long before my legs were crying for another rest and so I was stopping over and over again. Basically I had beaten myself mentally by stopping and although the pain was intense I feel that if I was still running on the clock and had not stopped that first time that I would not have stopped at all (or at minimum once or twice, much later on in the run).
The final two miles were a mix of running then walking and my legs really were crying out for me to stop, sit down and rest. This was never going to happen but what was very clear from this run was that I was running above my lactate threshold and subsequently the lactic acid build up came early and affected the entire run.
I want to put those final few miles out of my mind forever, however I will never forget how I felt at that time and the lessons I learned from running the speed I did. Tomorrow I will go for a recovery run of three to four miles at mid eight minute pace.


“I learned two very valuable lessons today…….”


1. If you go out too quickly at the start of a run you WILL suffer later. I went out at late seven minute miles. I must add at least one minute onto these early miles if I have any chance of completing the Edinburgh Marathon in one piece.



2. Although this run was hard and I had to stop many times I realised that, no matter how tired you are if you want to finish a run or a marathon, with the correct mental approach you will. However if you stop once you WILL stop again, and again. Only stop if you absolutely have to!


Positive: See lesson #1
Negative: See lesson #2

Days to Edinburgh Marathon: 41

Fast Mile: N/T

Slow Mile: N/T

Run Time: N/T



"Good things come slow - especially in distance running."