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Coming into Christmas week I was looking forward to getting my last few days at work finished so I could re focus on some running as I was starting to feel like coming back from a “mental holiday” following the North Eastern Cross Country Championships.
On Monday I was too busy with work and pre Christmas planning so cancelled my recovery run until Tuesday which I completed on my lunch break. I’m never too keen to run on my lunch break because logistically it takes up too much time but enjoyed it. Maybe it was the rain beating down. I like to feel different and the quizzical looks from colleagues on the way out made me chuckle.
Christmas eve and I had a 45 minute recovery planned. Did the usual loop around onto the Town Moor. Nothing spectacular as planned.
Going home for Christmas is always nice for my running as it allows me a chance to run some different routes.
On Christmas day I ran up to Edmondsley and almost to Sacriston. It’s a decent uphill climb to there from Chester le Street and it was nice to turn back round for the easier descent home. A few cars on the road and some dog walkers but not any other runners. I felt like a hardy soul and I enjoyed my first ever Christmas day run.
On Boxing day I had 40mins threshold planned. I fancied finding a flattish stretch of road to see what pace I could run in my threshold zone. After a 5 minute warm up I got started. The course I ended up on was a stretch of new road going up to Chester Moor. It was about 5 mins down, 5 mins back up times 4 to complete the session. I was running quite hard and yet the heart rate was operating around 165-174 max. I find this interesting, especially since I was knocking out 6.06 average miles for the duration. My threshold heart rate at the last test was 183bpm / 6.14 miling. I’m getting stronger.
I left Chester le Street and headed down to Hexham to see my girlfriends family. I’d never ran whilst down there before but was aware of some good routes. So I got out around 9.30am for a 45min recovery. I followed a route along the river and railway track. Its a great place for running. I decided to do an out and back, turning round after 22 and a half minutes.
It felt like you could go for miles along that route. It would be great for a long run. As it happened I’d been running for about 21 minutes when I came to a road with water crossing it, gushing across like a mini stream. Aware that I was close to turning back I was caught in two minds whether to run through it or stop. In the end I did neither and ended up slipping over onto my behind and into the freezing water!
My shorts, gloves and hands were absolutely soaking and freezing! And I was about 3 or 4 miles from home. That said I was straight back up and heading back. I chuckled, shook my head and got on with it. It’s not the first time I’ve fallen over and it’s character building if nothing else! In the end I enjoyed another run on a new route and certainly one I’ll use again when I’m in Hexham.
I was starting to feel like a strong week was being notched up but I still had a 60min recovery in the diary for Sunday. That said, with it being the Christmas and New year period I was starting to feel fatigued with all the running, eating and socialising. And when I woke up and got out the door I realised it was absolutely treacherous with ice underfoot. So I quickly changed tact and did a XC run. The ground was fairly frozen with some muddy bits and I completed 40mins. It felt quite tough to be running off road again so I cut it short and ensured not to overdo it.
All in all a good weeks training with about 37 miles completed.
Next week I will be back to work and then down London for New Years festivities so I expect a reduced week and will be looking to come back in January 2015, raring to go to start sharpening for the sub 17 5k in Spring.
Hope you are enjoying the holidays!
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