Marathon training week 6

I will write something other than training week recaps, promise!

So this was going to be a big week as it was going to the first time I run over 20 miles. It was another cold week in Nottingham

As usual, nice rest day on Monday

Tuesday I woke up with a bit of a stomach upset so decided against running in to work. Took kit in with me on the chance that I’d make it to the gym at lunch time, or feel like running home at the end of the day.

All fine by lunchtime so off to the gym for some weights. Sticking to the normal plan, except that I forgot to add weight to the numbers from last week ?‍♂️

• Squats – 5×5 @ 45kg
• Bench Press – 5×5 @ 28kg
• Barbell Row – 5×5 @ 35kg
• Deadlift – 5×5 @ 50kg

Stomach felt well enough for a run home, so I took an easy run home for 4.2 miles.

Mrs BeestonRunner fancied doing the club run on wednesday night as we’d not been along since we’d joined Beeston AC at the start of the year. So I took a quick run into work in the morning just to loosen the leg.

For the evening, Mrs BeestonRunner to the 5 mile loop option and I joined in with the 7 mile crew. They were sticking to a University loop to avoid too much ice. A large group of us stuck together along University Boulevard, with a split into different page groups as came up past the QMC, through the North Entrance and up Cripps hill. Pretty good pace all the way back to Chilwell Olympia

Waking up on Thursday morning it felt like it might have been too much of a good pace as I’d got a slight pain in my left achilles. Decided the bus to work seemed like a safer option. So just another weights session at the gym at lunch time:

• Squats – 5×5 @ 47.5kg
• Overhead Press – 5×5 @ 22.5kg
• Deadlift – 5×5 @ 55kg

Still finding the overhead press really hard work. I’m guessing my shoulders just aren’t developed from years of cycling, and fracturing my left collar bone 2 years ago probably doesn’t help either

Saturday morning was cold and bright so out early doors for a frost run out round the back of Chilwell

Lovely being out. Few people and just a nice glow in the sky brightening as I got closer to home

Keen to repeat that experience on Sunday I was up and out early again. And it worked. Lovely and crisp up along the River Trent

So cold out that I came across this disgruntled customer on the Cranfleet Cut who seemed a bit put out that they couldn’t get to the water

Part of the reason for being so keen to do this loop as crossing Sawley bridge over the River Trent meant I’d done all the ‘Nottingham’ crossings of the Trent while running. Coming back down Long Lane and over the bridge was a common commute home from work. Turns out the loop was just about the 21 miles I needed for this week’s long run.

Was lovely coming back over the fields from Thrumpton and Barton in Fabis was great. The last couple of miles back through Clifton woods was hard work. Mainly due to what I discovered when I got my shoes off at home

Looks like my trusted Saucony’s don’t have quite enough room for my feet to expand after a long run. Hopefully the new Brooks are a bit more roomy, time to bring them up to speed for April

Still a good run, 21 miles at just under 8 minutes per mile. Didn’t feel too dead afterwards, though I did spend a decent amount of time on the sofa

So another good week of training. Despite missing a session I was only 1.7 miles down on the week’s target