Week 15 summary

This period of the year is mentally very tough (for a runner living here): the temperature is rising day by day and the perspective of a very long summer would put off also the most committed runner.

It does not also help that basically the next race is 4-5 months from now....

So I honestly did not feel particularly motivated to wake up at 5am to go running... but that's why I started this blog.. at least I can confess my sins ...

Anyway last week I still had some "duties", so It made for an interesting week:

Monday: I remember also going to bed somehow, but the feeling was more like unfastening the seat belts and soon after fastening the running shoes.

well.. anyway, after 4 hours sleep, I gulped some coffee because I was waited for a big day:

I was supposed to pace M. and A. for a 18k tempo run.

In local terms, that make like in UK being asked to pace Paula Radcliffe and Liz Yelling or something like that.

A. is shooting for the Olympic standard in the marathon, while M. is getting ready for her season top race.

The required pace was around 3'55" which was quite reasonable for me, but still not a stroll for a very humid day. So I felt a bit anxious of my legs getting tight or anything like that.

Anyway, we did it, even if A. had to drop out halfway for a niggling pain. 

Total 25km of which 18k @3'56" pace.

Tuesday: rest...I was really cooked by the too little sleep

Wednesday: gorgeous MTB ride with some friends in China. Amazingly I really performed well, despite not having touched the bike for week

Thursday: rest (quite unplanned... but either I go early in the morning, either the day goes away too quickly)

Friday: easy run with M..... I felt very relaxed and maybe pushed the pace a bit too much for her (total 14k)

Saturday: another pacing duty with the 2 ladies... This one was a relatively easier progression run, but it was already very hot and humid so I just wanted to be done asap.

My right calf is tight and it affected the stride, so I was laboring more than planned. Total 20k, at the end we were going around 3'45"/k pace

Definitely flexibility/mobility/strengthening of the right left is #1 target in my future training.

Sunday: rest

Now, looking ahead...

April: take it easy until the 22nd

April/May/mid-june: work mainly of glute activation, stretching, range of motion, etc of the right leg.

Is no point that I start any real training plan if I do not settle the problem of the right leg.

Also I have time to play with different set-up (with/without lift, orthotics, etc).

June/July: base training and build up aerobic strength. 

August/September: try to train more specifically for the Berlin Marathon (30/September)... but without spending all my reserves because I really want to go to Fukuoka in early December, so I can not be too cooked by the training in summer