Weekly summary - 8 weeks to go

I've said it before but: my highest ever weekly mileage! There were some tough sessions too, and all done while holding down a job. It's going to get tougher next week though as my employers have chosen to add a 40-mile commute to my workload. I'll have to get up 30 minutes earlier. I hope I can be disciplined to go to bed 30 minutes earlier too! Somehow I'm going to have to absorb an extra 90 minutes travelling into my day. I managed it during the winter on just 2 doubles a week. Can I cope doing 5 doubles?

Back to the weekly summary though: it all culminated in me running our club relay as a solo effort. The relay is 9 legs run as teams of 3, each person doing 3 legs of 2 to 3 miles each. Each leg has at least some off-road, while some are completely off-road. I'm amazed how you can fit a 22.1-mile circuit of running onto Hayling Island without ever crossing your path. It's a nice run!

I set off mid-pack, surprised at how many runners I was ahead of. After 3 legs though, things settled down as the faster runners of the teams behind me came running past. It was nice, and surprising, to finish ahead of 2 teams. Shame I didn't have a realistic handicap though: I was handicapped the same as the teams - assuming I was running the 22.1 miles at a pace I could sustain for just 3 miles! Not surprisingly, I finished last on handicap.

Dave and Suzy hosted the event on behalf on race organiser John and did a fantastic job. It was a lovely fun social event, and great weather too!

Monday	5.2 miles	easy run
Tuesday	13 miles	am:4 miles easy pm:9 miles pace test
Wednesday	14 miles	am:4 miles easy pm: 10 miles steady	Feeling really tired for evening run. Wind and rain didn't help!
Thursday	12.3 miles	am: 4 miles easy pm: 8.3 miles club session	110m hill, 200m jog recover down, 400m flat, 150m jog recover. Hills: 37s, 37s, 37s, 37s, 34s, 35s, 34s. 400s: 1:42, 1:42, 1:40, 1:41, 1:40, 1:41, 1:41
Friday	12 miles	am: 4.4 easy pm: 7.6 steady 8:24 117bpm
Saturday	6.2 miles	Easy run
Sunday	22.1 miles	Club relay done as solo effort	8:24/mile 133bpm 77%MHR. Felt I should have been running faster for that HR, but it was off-road, hot and windy
Total	84.8 miles