6+5 = Less Than Planned

I was supposed to do two runs with Crazyboy this weekend. A shorter run on Saturday evening, and a longer run on Sunday. It didn’t quite go to plan…

Saturday 16:13 6 miles 44:36

1 7:34 2 7:31 3 7:33 4 7:24 5 7:52 6 6:42  Average 7:26 min/miles

I arrived at the Crazyboy household at 4pm as requested. The plan was to run, and then be back in time for the Olympic trials on the BBC. We chose the hilly 6 mile route which takes in Pollock Park, and a shortish section of trail. Crazyboy was struggling a little after a tough week at work, a lack of sleep due to Baby Crazyboy and a lurking cold. I had to slow a couple of times to let him catch up with me, and he just had nothing left to follow me over the last mile. He was struggling with getting salt in his eyes. As he wears glasses, this is often a problem.  When we got back to the house his eyes were bloodshot and looked like something created by the special effects department for a horror movie! It was a lovely evening and I enjoyed the run, and as planned, we were back for the athletics.

Dwain Chambers won the 100m which now leaves his Olympic dream in the hands of the courts. I’m not sure how I feel about this. He cheated, he took steroids, but he’s done his time. As long as testing is now showing him as clean, should he not be allowed to participate? That said, what about the guys that have trained for years drug free? should they not get priority? What if his previous steroid use has made him the athlete he is today? It’s a tough call, and I can’t decide how I feel about it. 

We stayed up too late and consumed too much lager that night. That said, Crazyboy fell asleep on the sofa,  spilling his drink down himself, and myself and Mrs Crazyboy were left watching car crash TV in the form of ‘Ibiza Uncovered’. We were planning nasty things to do to Crazyboy that we could video and publish on ‘You Tube’. My favourite option was to pick Crazyboy up, and put him in Baby Crazyboy’s play pen!

This morning Crazyboy, true to form, was a lot worse for wear than I was, and running was not an option. To be fair, he did also sound very bunged up, his cold had surfaced. We watched ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ all morning on the Paramount channel, giving him a complex. Crazyboy is just an alias after all!

Once I had finally made it home, I forced myself into my running kit, and headed off for a shorter run than planned…

Sunday 15:02 5 miles 35:32

1 7:22 2 7:24 3 7:24 4 6:52 5 6:31  Average 7:06 min/miles

Not much to report from the run. I was feeling pretty awful at first, but keeping things steady I settled into the run. I was pretty pleased with my consistent pace over the first three miles, and not surprised by the faster fourth mile as it’s pretty much downhill. The final mile split is really pleasing though as I felt really strong and could have pushed a lot harder, yet still clocked 6:31 for the mile. I plan to start my Chicago Marathon training as of tomorrow, one week later than planned. My legs were not ready last week, but I think that final mile gives me the go ahead, as long as my hip holds out.

So tomorrow night will see my return to speed work at the club. I don’t know how I’ll get on, time will tell.

I’ve just watched Jo Pavey in the 5000m Olympic Trials – she won it by a country mile. I love Jo Pavey. Not only is she an incredibly gutsy runner, but she is also training hard as a ventriloquist. She talks without opening her mouth!

See… you’re never quite sure which person on camera is talking. Just picture a big green duck on her right arm, mouth opening in time to her comments… “I ‘ate that duck!”

more about “jo pavey – Google Video“, posted with vodpod