Down and right back up again!

This running lark is a real roller-coaster.  Completed week 11 today of my slightly stretched training programme of 13 weeks which will get me to Race Day, which is now only 16 days away (I don't think I'll report it like that in the future, I'll say....approx. 2 weeks away instead!).


I feel like I have finished on a high this week, a 7.5 mile route with quite a few hills thrown in for good measure including a particularly nasty hill after only 1 mile where I had to climb approx 200ft and my average pace including the short walk out of work was where I want it to be on race day (around 11 min/mile).  All this with the aim to try and get more accustomed to running hills when I least expect them in preparation for the race which I will be running blind.

I'm doing it this way so hopefully when I'm running in the race, all the scenery will be new for me so hopefully it will keep me interested/motivated on race day.  When I'm running in the race I'll probably be cursing the hills and blaming me for not driving the route before booking the race, oh well you live and learn....


At the end of the run today, I actually experienced a fleeting moment (didn't last long) where I felt ready for the race in 16 days approx. 2 weeks; that's the first time I have felt that since running the 12 miles/booking the race last week.  


According to my programme I am now in the tapering period; a time of recovery and preparation for the race with the aim of keeping the gains I have made over the past 11 weeks, whilst ensuring that my body has time to recover before the race.


One thing I have noticed in the last couple of runs is that my running shoes don't feel as comfy/springy after approx. 320 miles and 5 months...

...so it looks like I'm going to have to struggle through until after the race with shoes which are wearing out as it's a bad time to try and 'run' in a new pair in time for the race.