Over the hill

A.M. warm 3°C but very icy. I drove out to Murr to have a change of scenery with open farmland. Easy pace, with jogging in the field at times around the ice. I wore my road shoes thinking it would be dry asphalt underfoot, I should have stuck with my usual trail shoes. Total 12,5k in 1:02:01, av pace 4:58/k, 7:59/mi. Finished with 100m strides, on the 5th started to feel the ache in my left hip so stopped the strides after 6 x.

A.M. 2°C and ice-rain throughout the run. One of those days where I questioned myself half way through the run what I was doing out there on New Year's eve, soaked through, slipping on ice and no one else in sight. My goal today was 5k warmup, then 20k at gmp (4:15/k) which would be a 4 x 5k split time of 21:15. My 5k splits, warmup 24:34, then 21:10, 21:07, 21:10, 21:11, with a short jog to finish. Object was achieved but this was supposed to be a confidence builder and the truth is I struggled, it felt more like 1/2 marathon pace today and I was fighting at the end to stay on pace. I didn't have much left in me at the end, certainly not enough to finish a marathon at this pace. I have another test run end of Jan so I'll see how that goes. Anyway, 2nd holiday week and hardest run out of the way. Now to enjoy New Year's Eve/Silvester.

 Happy New Year/ Guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr to one and all.

A.M. -2°C very icy. Short and very easy recovery run. Through the vineyards and then into the woods to the lake (Annasee) and back. Firework debris everywhere from last night's celebrations, the ugly side is all the smashed glass from sekt and beer bottles lying around. 10k in 54:05, av pace 5:25/k, 8:42/mi.

P.M. Short & easy evening treadmill run. 6.1k in 31:12. av pace 5:07/k, 8:14/mi.

A.M. -1°C but sunny and not as icy. Good enjoyable run in the woods, felt a bit fresher today but I have a general feeling that I am getting slower at the moment. Lots of rabbits about today, I think like me enjoying the warmth of the sun. Total 18k in 1:25:42. av pace 4:46/k, 7:40/mi.

A.M. A cold and grey morning but no ice on the streets. Easy warmup for 8k to finish up at the track for a short interval session of 6 x 800m with 90 sec recovery. The times were 2:56, 2:56, 2:56, 2:55, 2:54, 2:59. The recovery felt too long for the first 3 and not long enough for the last 3. I really pushed the last 800 and was surprised that this was the slowest, but glad they were all under the 3 min mark.  I also felt left hip ache in the joint after the 3rd repeat. I wanted to finish with a 100m to see with Sasha science what marathon time this would indicate. There is so many lines and markings all over the track, I picked what I thought was the start line for the 100m and ran to the finish line in 19s. This seemed a little too slow, then I noticed tiny metal tags at the edge of the track clarifying the lines. I'd ran 110m, dooh! Cooldown jog back to home to my wife who has been sick the last couple of days but is now feeling well enough to go out. Total 16,5k in 1:13:42, av pace 4:28/k, 7:11/mi.

A.M. Recovery run day but an absolute beautiful morning and I ended up running twice as much as planned. I drove our car into the woods to run an easy 10k loop but it was one of the days where you don't want the running to end. Sun, blue sky with fluffy white clouds, deer scattering in a castle's grounds, the smell of the trees, the views from a plateau where in the summer gliders fly, it was with reluctance that I finally stopped. I went shopping with my wife yesterday afternoon, she wanted to buy a watch and after endless shops we came home with a cast-iron teapot. No matter what angle you look at it from it will not tell the time and looks awfully cumbersome on your wrist. Today's run was the perfect antidote. Total 20k in 1:45:24, av pace 5:16/k, 8:29/mi.

P.M. Short treadmill run, played with the thing increasing the segments upto 15 km/h for a couple of k then back down again. Why don't they show pace if they are built for runners? Total 6k in 25:57, av 4:19/k, 6:58/mi.

A.M. Almost embarrassing to write but it was warm 6°C (42°F) this morning, quick out the door as a heavy rain front is predicted for this morning and I wanted to outrun it. Easier to run when it is not brass monkeys weather and the bread & butter hilly run went quickly. Finished dry. Total 20k in 1:34:28, av pace 4:43/k, 7:36/mi.

P.M. Feeling sick with stomach cramps & the trots in the afternoon, finally squeezed out the 2nd planned workout at 8pm on the treadmill. 6k in 28:32, av pace 4:45/k.