My low key return to running is in full swing. Since missing 3 weeks with Achilles problems, I've now had 2 weeks of low volume running with a handful of 4 mile runs. I've kept the runs nice and flat along the canal and some days have been better than others with the Achilles pain. Icing,stretching and anti inflammatory tablets have helped and hopefully the low mileage is getting me back slowly but strongly.
With my last race (The Loch Ness Marathon) way back in September a long way behind me, I definitely need a new goal to aspire to....but what? I have to confess I'm a little lost now with where I want to be with my running.
My last marathon was a bit of a disaster, it was to be expected with only 7 weeks training but the pain lives on! I definitely have unfinished business with marathons, with a 3:58:50 PB I'm sure I can get myself down to around 3:45.
The trouble is the last couple of years my attention has turned to trail running. Trail running tends to be a lot tougher than the Tarmac, the routes are generally more undulating and the altering terrains can also be testing. Because of these factors, running on the trails makes for slower times so this has brought my average pace down. The advancing years don't help with the speed either so I really want to have a go at building some pace again, which brings me onto Parkruns.
I don't always have the chance to make it to my local Parkrun on a Saturday morning, but what a great place to hammer out some tempo running with this short competitive 5K event. Maybe that's what I want to be.....the next Mo Farah!!!
If I'm going for speed maybe road running is where I need to be at? A nice 10K road race might be in order to go along with the 5K running......but wait, what about the half marathon distance. That's a lovely distance to train for, doesn't take too much out of you like the full marathon.
5,10,13.1,26.2,fast,slow,trails,Tarmac,flat,hilly,blah,blah,blah..ARGHHHHH!!!
Can you be both a sprinter and a long distance runner? Can you be a sprinter in your 40's? Can you get faster as you get older? ARGHHHHH!!!
I'm LOST! After the last year of limited running, maybe I should just be happy with being able to put one foot in front of the other :-)
Hi Ian, im only 36 but yes you can get faster as you get older, how about a goal of a sub 20min 5K at your local Parkrun? Thats my aim anyway...great blog btw mate.
ReplyDeleteThank you! As you will see from my recent posts, I'm now in training for my fourth marathon. Parkrun sub 20min would be great, still a couple of minutes off that but got a PB last weekend :-)
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