OMG - three weeks to go!

Last week was a slight disaster from the training perspective.  Sunday I did a long run in Oxleas/Eltham Woods.   I set off at too fast a pace, which was absolutely great for the first 80 minutes, but so so hard after that.  I thought I would test myself to see what it would feel like, and it definitely proved to me that the first half was considerably easier than the second!   I completed 3 hours in the woods with the same two hydration stops but it was considerably tougher than the 3.5 hours the week before.  I felt totally whacked the rest of the day.

Tuesday saw me with a perfect storm of final deadlines at work and at the same time I had to contend with a funny tummy bug which was making me feel dreadful.  I cycled into work that day, though I had no energy whatsoever.  Wednesday and Thursday I felt ill and did no training at all.  By Friday I was feeling a little better again though not enough to take my bike into work.  I tried a short (20 minute) slow run around Greenwich Park in the afternoon and it was just the toughest thing going.  My pulse just seemed to rocket with minimal exertion.  Saturday was not a great deal better, so I focused on strengthening exercises.

Sunday, however, I was feeling great.  After a gentle warm up around the playing fields at Eltham, I did three loops around an hour long circuit through the woods from Eltham Park to the tip of Woolwich Common and back, with the run up Shooters Hill in the middle of the circuit rather than at the end.  I tested a lucozade and 'Swedish Fish' (sugary gel like sweets) two-stop refueling strategy.  It worked well, and there even felt to be enough energy left inside me at the end to tempt me to do another circuit!  But I resisted.  The other big step was that it was all without an ipod!  Yes, for the whole three hours fifteen minutes I had to make up my own songs...  And I am pleased to say that the knees felt strong all the way.

So now it is officially time to taper.  On the one hand it is a relief to hit this stage.  On the other, I am going to miss pushing myself quite so much.  Well at least for the next 20 days anyway....!