Or 6(ish) weeks and counting
I think this might be the week (and a bit) that I finally got my head about the next marathon. I've realised that I was thinking too much about London, the training, what I was doing then and measuring myself against that. On Thursday's session at Scotstoun, I did a 5-mile tempo run at 7:20 min miles. Despite the frequent Scotstoun impediment of a headwind down the back straight and the shelter of the stand meaning no tailwind in the home straight, I felt it was crap "was going much faster than that when I was training for London", blah... Then I looked at the last tempo run I did before London, which had similar wind conditions, and it was 7:02 min miles. So perhaps it hadn't been that bad after all.
This has been an extended running week because a jaunt to Edinburgh for some culture, drinks and fun over the weekend knocked the long run back to Tuesday. In the gap over the weekend, I did some reappraising and realised that this isn't about London any more, it's about Le Mans. Rather than looking back and comparing everything I do unfavourably, I should be concentrating on getting the best, most sensible preparation in for Le Mans, at whatever pace I can manage. If I do that, he race will look after itself.
With this newly positive frame of mind, I headed out on the delayed long run on Tuesday, picking up an extension of last week's run to loop through Garelochead and bring it up to just over 18 miles. As the morning's rain stopped 10 minutes before I went out, the sun broke through and the temperature was pleasantly cool, it felt like things were coming together and it was the first run I could really enjoy for ages. I sailed up Glen Fruin and the hill at then end, then away towards Coulport. Only on the steep downhill into Garelochead did I start to feel the legs, and I gradually slowed along the lochside before the usual struggle up the hills to home. But I determined I wasn't going to let the pace worry me and I knew that this was the last long run with hills, as the rest will now be on the nice flat cycle path and canal towpath to Dalmuir.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to be repetitions with the lift from the playlist this week, because I used to Boss last week and I think I've also used this song way back in the London prep somewhere. But I gives me the chance to drag out some footage from the excellent London Calling DVD which, let us not forget, was recorded the night after this 60 year old man played his usual 3 hour set at Glastonbury. Think about the energy involved in THAT. Mainly, though, it's one of the all-time great concert openers, a good start to each run and features what's just about my favourite lyric...
"For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"
Love it
Week's summary: 4 runs, 37 miles: Long run 18.3 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 181
