Feeling Strong

Today I had the best speed session that I've had since September last year. And that's without exaggeration. I document all my speed sessions - keep a record of the session, my lap times, my heart rate and even the weather. (Okay , so it might make me look a little obsessive-compulsive but I'm now at an age where I don't really care what other people think)

We've done this session at least once a month over the last couple of months. It's 1k reps with a 100m walk recovery. I personally think 100m isn't quite long enough so I compensate by walking really slow. At the beginning of October I did the session with my first rep starting at 4:37 and my 5th rep being 5:10. So much for keeping it consistent.

Two weeks after that we did it again and I started out slower (having learnt from the nasty experience before). I started with a 4:56 then it was 4:44, 4:54, 4:58. And the final rep I only made it to the 500m mark before having to walk. My other runs were going pretty badly too BUT I had a plan of action (which I mentioned a few weeks back) to work on my strength and to increase my protein intake.

So fast-forward five weeks. I felt like I was taking it easy on the first rep - but I always feel like I'm taking it easy. I thought about my running form. About having a faster cadence and to try to keep my bodyweight over my landing leg. I lapped my watch at 4:37. Not too bad, but probably a little fast and I would be paying for it later. For the second rep I concentrated on the same things as the first while playing the last song I'd heard on my car radio over and over in an endless loop (Don't know the name of the song but the only words I know from it are 'you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun') Time for the second rep was 4:38.

Now I knew that I was definitely going to pay for my foolhardy ways. The next rep was going to really hurt! But I kept my legs ticking over and pushing and lap 3 finished in 4:41. I did two more reps - 4:49 and 4:48 - and they felt hard but I did not feel at any time that I was going to die! (Which may or may not have happened the last few time I did this session)

And this is coming just a day after a 10k run where my average pace was 5:21/k. Lately I've been running around the 5:40-5:50 mark and, admittedly it was a little cooler, but I know I'm feeling stronger and way less tired just generally. So am I happy - hell, yes!

But on a less happy note - we had a little visit from our neighbour the other day. I think most neighbourhoods has one of these people - an older lady who rarely leaves the street, knows exactly what's going on and is happy to let you know when your noises are bothering her (I still think she hasn't forgiven Sam for all those morning trumpet practices of The Last Post when he was 12). She stopped Iven and I as we were trying to make a quick get-away in the car to let us know that she wasn't happy with our recent installation of a garage door because she couldn't tell if we were home or not.

She leant into the window and it was then that I noticed that the most strategic of her buttons had come undone AND she wasn't wearing a bra under her dress. Poor Iven! He had the best view. He swears he didn't look but I'm sure he got a quick peak before he realised he had to look away. I don't think he'll ever be able to look her in the face again.