Its been a while...

...since my last post. Due partly to a problem with the blog when I last tried to post, but also because I've been off doing my "warm weather training" (ha!) in North Devon. To be honest, with the hols and other family commitments I've not been able to fully adhere to the training programme, mixing things up a little and keeping it going as best possible though. I've probably lost about three or four runs over the last couple of weeks, and I expect a few more to drift away from me in the month to come, but hopefully I'm getting enough done to keep at a decent level as we move into the final period. At least I got plenty of hill running practice when off camping, as the landscape fitted with the name of "Hidden Valley" and dictated that whichever way I went from the site I was faced with a pretty steep climb. The road I ended up taking several times was about a 1 in 4, consistently, for the best part of a mile - a real grueller to pull up, and too steep to run down comfortably, but different, and quite satisfying. The "highlight" though was an 18 mile run last Friday - a good 4 to 5 miles further than I've ever run in one go. Ever, ever, ever. To reduce impact on the family holiday I timed it to coincide with a cycling trip down the tarka trail. A friend came up for the day and we hired bikes for everyone (except me), S enjoying her first trip on a tag along and C doing ever so well by cycling himself. We all headed off together for the first four and a half miles, then while I carried on over the Taw Bridge and down towards Bideford, the others carried on into Barnstaple to a park and cafe for lunch, meeting up with me again as I returned after 13.5 miles and sticking with me for the final push. It was tough, not helped by a torrential downpour, but that was perhaps to be expected and having some company and support for part of it really helped. But most importantly, what I did find is that I could just about keep going for the duration, and although I was very tired, it makes me think that I am capable of doing the full distance - particularly if I can get in a few more runs of this sort of length. So overall a positive. Since that time I've only done two runs, a short 3+ recovery run and a steady five and a half miler last night - a very listless affair. Joints are a bit sore and one or two muscles could do with a massage, but I'm still trugging along. Tomorrow's another day, another run. Total mileage to date: 704.48, which has now had me running for over 100 hours at an average of 8 mins 32 secs per mile. It all counts.