I’ve struggled over the last few weeks. Not particularly with running, but everything else including the pressure of making sure others are OK for a very different Christmas.
The training plan. I completed the plan, and added an extra week on to the end with a few more sessions. Each week had an interval run, a threshold run and a long run, plus another one or two shorter steady runs if I had time. I have liked following the plan, and in the main have felt that the sessions, although hard, have been achievable. I’ve run some of the sessions at a faster pace than was actually stipulated on the plan (good or bad thing? I’m not sure) and could have done the timed effort at the end of the 8 weeks had other things not been going on.
Did I get a PB? No. But I did get a quicker time and I’m confident that I can PB soon. On Tuesday 22nd December I ran 5k in 25:20 (PB is 25:07). It probably didn’t help that I didn’t plan when I was doing it, just went out one morning and during the five minute warm up decided that I would push hard and try. This meant it was dark, wet and I didn’t have a route so doubled back a couple of times to keep on a relatively level, slightly wider bit of road that cars could get passed me on so I didn’t have to stop. From the timed effort I did several months ago I have knocked off 70 seconds – I thinking of repeating the plan, or part of it, with the paces from my new time to see if I can get another 21 seconds off. For anyone interested, this is the plan that I have been using – https://runningtrainingplan.com/runningpress/5k-in-under-25-minutes-training-plan/
Saturday 19th December was a very sad day when we had to say goodbye to our much loved dog Harvey. He was 14 years old and had deteriorated this year with doggy dementia so we knew the time was coming but still were not prepared at all. In his last 36 hours he didn’t spend a moment alone, we stayed up with him through the night to make sure he was OK and he slept the majority of the last day (on a bed with a blanket keeping him warm). I have so many fabulous memories with him, from the day we picked him up when he kept pulling on my 5 year old sons shoe laces; his companionship when my marriage fell apart; many, many country runs when he was fit enough to go miles; and just the constant by my side at home. We are concentrating on making sure our other dog, Jake, is OK, a bit clingy and quiet at the moment, but enjoying runs and walks so I think we are doing alright.
At the end of a year where I, like many others, have been finding things pretty tough, losing Harv has really knocked me and certainly meant that I have not felt Christmassy at all – no decorations to be found in this house. I’m just relieved now that Christmas has passed.
We’ve spent the last day or two thinking about running plans for 2021 and what events we want to do. I like to have a plan, and hope that it will help me find a focus and some enthusiasm for the new year. We are booked onto the Lakeland Trails Staveley event in May as our entry was moved over from this year and are looking at the possibility of also doing the Keswick event. We’ve also just booked the Due North Kettlewell trail half marathon – this will be a tough one so must give it some respect and plenty of training! So far, that is it. Husband has said he wants to run the marathon distance, but not in a race. I’m hoping he sticks to this and I’m happy to train with him to help me push the mileage too. I suppose if events are able to run we might do some 10ks though the year, but we also want to get away in the van and trail run in different places – no races, just us.
a mile run 
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