How to get it right, and how to get it wrong

How to get it right?
1) just go out and do it
2) have no target in mind, pace or distance
3) listen to the feedback

How to get it wrong
1) create an artifical agenda or target
2) let that dominate the session
3) ignore the feedback

Sunday, I dropped my daughter off at an extended extra ballet class ahead of next weeks recital.  I knew I had at least 90 mins to run, and with the ballet teacher's timing, another ten minutes if I wanted.  So I just set out to run for 90 minutes no targets for distance, pace or anything else, just spend 90 minutes on my feet. 

Not much really, you may say, but since I did my HM in August, I've been mainly working towards the new year's eve 10km, so looking at 6-7 miles.  I'm now thinking about July and the ultra-70, which is really less about pace and more about being able to keep a steady pace for an extended period of time.  Having done 5 and a half hours in the saddle, I know I can do these durations, but I need to get the body back into it again, so I have a framework in my mind of a long session every weekend, either on the bike or running. Should be fun.

So Sunday's run took me on a meandering course along the banks of the Ouse, up and down either bank on a mix of tarmac, hard trails and dirt tracks just meandering and then working my way back to the rehearsal hall almost on the dot of 90 minutes. 

I found it really easy to just settle into a nice steady pace around 6 min miles with HR mainly in the low-mid 140s, a kind of pace I felt I could continue for hours.  The only fly in the ointment being the first 2 km where I was getting serious interference from the wind on my light jacket (very windy, overcast about 10C) causing spurious HR data so I ditched that and it went away almost immediately.  Also managed to get a couple of photos.

1) 5:28 / A144 / M174
2) 6:03 / A150 / M165
3) 5:36 / A142 / M150
4) 5:56 / A141 / M146
5) 5:50 / A143 / M149
6) 5:55 / A144 / M149
7) 5:49 / A142 / M150
8) 5:58 / A143 / M146
9) 6:04 / A144 / M149
10) 5:59 / A143 / M148
11) 5:53 / A142 / M150
12) 5:50 / A144 / M149
13) 6:04 / A146 / M152
14) 5:39 / A143 / M146
15) 5:55 / A143 / M149
16) 5:47 / A143 / M147
17) 0.13km / 0:45.8 / 6:02 / A144 / M144
Total) 16.13 km / 1:34:32 / 5:52 / A144 / M174 (M152 non spurious)

A runner's Eye view of the river

my landmark - visible for at least 5miles, they knew how to build in 1086

Monday I flew up to Aberdeen and then today I had an 0800 check in for a fligtht to the Shetlands.  I reasoned I could geta  quick 4mile or so run in and still get to the airport on time.  My mistake was not in getting up too late, I actually had plenty of time.  My mistake was in letting my percieved time shortage rule my run instead of just doing what I needed.

The result was that I was constantly running up against the HR cap and bumping over the top of it.  In other words, not a successful run for a base building session.  Not likely to have a hugely detrimental long term effect, but frustrating nonetheless in that I let my short term goals get ahead of where I want to be right now.

1) 5:07 / 134  
2) 5:11 / 144  
3) 5:33 / 148  
4) 5:18 / 149 
5) 5:22 / 150 
6) 5:32 / 149  
7) 0.87 / 4:46 / 5:28 / 149

Total 6.87km / 36:51 / 5:21 / A146 / M161 (not sure about that max?)