That was the week that was

Brief update of my training in the last week (all on the treadmill):

Sat 13th: Six miles. Pushed it a mile further than the new schedule as I felt progress with my knee was good and needed to get more miles in.

Mon 15th: Four miles. A bit braindead after the first day of my PRINCE2 training, so the run helped with the study later on.

Tue 16th: Used the air walker for about 45 minutes whilst watching a dire second half of the Marseille/Liverpool match. Not exactly inspirational, but job done on both counts. Sandwiched between five hours of study. Fun night.

Wed 17th: On a high after the exam result, I went for eight miles and nailed them. Enjoyed watching Arsenal and Utd struggle in Europe whilst I ran.

Thurs 18th: Juggling time. I had to fit in five miles before cramming for the Friday exam. That would have been enough, but my girlfriend decided that tonight was the night she was coming down to see me, arriving between me stepping off my treamill and hitting the books.

Sat 20th: The BIG one. I went for 10 miles. Double figures. Furthest I would have gone for 10 years. Not exactly inspired from from an expected Davis Cup defeat for Britain, a predicted (by me) Ryder Cup loss to USA and an awful 0-0 v Stoke at home, I started off my quest early evening. The omens weren’t good when my treadmill started making a thump-thump noise, and then my lower left leg started to really hurt. Should I plod on, hoping pain will subside? No, I stopped after two miles and readjusted my laces so they weren’t as tight. It got better. A mile later, I did the same to my right shoe. Despite being put off with some dodgy 80s tunes being played by girlfriend who’d commandeered the stereo, I focused and ate up the miles. Consuming a GU energy gel after 5 miles, I was ready for more. At 8.5 miles, I celebrated surpassing my previous best this year. Come on – nearly there! Right leg numbing, calves aching, sweat everywhere, my feet took me into double figures and onto glory.

33 miles of going nowhere. Another week on the ‘mill beckons, before I test my knees and risk the great outdoors.

I can almost taste it now…