Midweek running

So this week I'm trying to cram in as much as possible during the week, as I have my Manly Soft Sand Classic run on Sunday. So the plan has been to run Tue, Wed, Thur and Friday, with a rest day Saturday and then the run on Sunday. The race itself is a 21km run on soft sand. Fortunately its been raining loads here, so it will make it easier to run, but that also means that the times will be quicker too!!! So Tuesday was an evening run, more tempo like with a 2.5 mile warm-up, then 2.5 miles hard, and then 3.5 miles warm-down - doing the 8.5 miles in 64 mins, not a bad pace. The 2.5 miles hard were done at 6 min 45secs pace, and it felt quite comfortable too.

Yesterday was a lunchtime run, and I'm beginning to dislike doing these more and more. One because it's been pissing down the last week, so I've got soaking wet. But more importantly, the surfaces around where I work are hell on earth for my shins and calfs. It's mainly really hard concrete with very little actual road running, so by the end of it yesterday (7 miles), I was feeling it. But it was a pretty decent session which started slowly, and then finished faster, so good for the old heartrate.

Lastly today was a bit of a crappy one to be honest - another 5 mile city loop, but this time by the end of it my shins were saying stop. I'm going to have to reconsider my lunchtime route as I can't run on the really really hard concrete. Tarmac and asphalt is much much better for me, as apparently it's around 10 times softer than the pavement and the concrete there. Plus where I run, although beautfiul (I run under the Harbour Bridge and by the Opera House), it's all just hard concrete again. So this was just a gentle session after the two harder runs earlier this week.

Tomorrow will be a casual 13 miler to get up to 33 miles for the week, and then the half marathon on Sunday. I'm then planning to do a fairly long run the day after to see what the whole "bouncebackability" is like too.