Week 12 - The Long Road and a crash! - Day 83 of 112

The long road back to marathon fitness and getting ready for a weeks holiday starts today. After the madness of last week at work I have another week of settlements as we approach the end of the month. Everything is converging and it looks like it will be a long week trying to fit in holiday preparation, work and training. Decided to make a start this morning and had a run into work which is the best part of 2.75 miles. at around 8 min pace I am wondering if - how much - fitness I have lost in the lay off. If I can get a longish run in tomorrow then I will have a better idea. I am about to finish up and head off back home. Jen's just phoned and given me a rocket for not taking out the bins. Not a good start to the weekend!

Managed back home running along the canal and had a great belt out running the 2.80 miles in a shade over 20 minutes. Got through the the middle two miles in 7.11 and 7.16. Felt good with no problems re the hamstring. I do I have lost some fitness as it was slightly more of an effort than I would have expected. It is very difficult for me to lower my expectations but feel that I must now do so otherwise I will be heading for disappointment.

I needed to get a new chain on my bike and battery for the HR strap and decided to jog down to Byres Road then onto Alpine Bikes at the bottom of Great Western Road. Got the shoes on and adjusted the tubi grip and headed off down Athole Gardens. Felt a twinge at the top of the thigh but put this down to the tubi grip riding up my thigh and tightening it and carried on. Bad decision. The pain got worse and by the time that I was half along the canal to Kelvinbridge the pain had developed fully into the hamstring. In the end I jacked it in and walked the rest of the way to the bike shop. How can this have happened. How can I have had a double run out this morning only to suffer this set back when I was doing no more than 9 min miles. How? I had a stretch - didn't take it too quickly. I can only think that it was because the start of the run was down hill and I must have stretched out as I was going down Athole Gardens. It has tightened up and I am back on the ice. That puts the Sunday run on the back burner.

Out tonight at a 50th birthday at Balgray. Driving so not having a drink. I can feel the hamstring as I am forced by Emma to do some dad dancing which consists of whirling her round until she is nearly sick. She seems to like it. Return home to re-ice the injury and hope that I pull up a bit better in the morning.

Early morning numbers - 2.79 miles - 22.09 mins - 8 min pace - 478 calories
Mid morning numbers - 2.80 miles - 20.22 - 7.16
Late Afternoon numbers - Too pissed off to enter these!