Back at the Pond

I've been off doing other things (hiding) so haven't made the last couple of Thursday run sessions, and though I was tempted to bail on it tonight, my mood from work was suitably softened thanks to my draft report being finished, so I hauled ass across the city to join in.

Correct move.

It was a good session. Here it is for anyone that's curious to look at the Garmin data (and on that note I'd like to say this Forerunner looks to be a cracking investment so far!). A run out, dynamic stretching, 3 times round the pond, then 2, 1, 1, 2, 1 (I dropped 2 laps at the end as I'm racing on Sunday and my calves were starting to tighten up). Again, fairly consistent times & I'm please with that. Also, cardio wise, I wasn't as busted by those distances & speeds as I have in the past. Part of that I'm putting down to improved fitness, another part to the improved technique I think I was rocking tonight. I was very consciously moving round to the forefoot strike, holding my posture, engaging the core & trying to relax as much as possible and it all felt like it was holding together well. After the set of 3, I felt that I had too much recovery time & that I was cooling down! But probably just as well I had the recovery time.

The downside of shifting up onto the forefoot strike is that my calves took a fair old beating tonight, which might not be the greatest race prep, but hey, ho, I've done the session & its time for the ice.

So what am I hoping for on Sunday? Well, its an Olympic distance, so if I could get 30 to 35 on the swim, 1hr 10 on the bike and a sub 50 run at the end, I'd be super stoked. The bike is 7 laps up and down 2 hills (so 14 in total out and back), so hoping the hill work I've put in since I did the sprint in May at the same place pays off. Time will tell, eh?