Its funny the effect having a week off running does to you. Last wednesday I completed my third race of the year, the third in the Sunset Series, this time at my training track, Princes Park. I found the run alright and was convinced I’d beat or equal my run at the tan which was in the rain. However I somehow in spite of everything going for me, the weather, the knowledge of the track, feeling fitter, managed to add 30 seconds onto my previous time. Still not a bad effort at just under 36 minutes but I would have liked to have bettered it.

Anyway tonight I did my first run since then and its always interesting coming back after a week off. I started sweating and feeling tight from about the 100m mark, and I’m sitting here now after completing only 5km and I’m pouring of sweat. In fact so much, its in my eyes and I’m squinting trying to type through one eye.

I think its vaguely psychological, when I stick to my every 2 or 3 day runs I don’t feel like this. It probably doesn’t help I have a bit of virus at the moment, however, I was running 20km easily last year when I had viruses so its tells me its a little bit in my head. It funny how the body works, and that little voice tells you to stop. I suppose you’ve just got to carry on through it. My training run of 5km is a very simple one, 5 times round the outside of oval and 1 time inside the oval. Gives a training run of 5.1km. I think the lappiness of it makes it a psychological course too and I used it last year going into some races to get used to races that laps. In fact once I went round 10 times just to see if I could cope with the boredom. I managed it.

Now within 10 minutes of getting back, i’m not sweating, can see and feel pretty good. Makes me glad I went. I needed to go tonight for a reason, that being I have my 4th race of the year on Saturday, the Moonee Valley Colour Fest fun run up at Abelfeldie Park. As I was running tonight I was imaging how hard this would be but now I’m recovered I’m pretty confident again. I’d like to hit 45 minutes but a sub 50 minute 10k will do at this stage in my training.

Hopefully having a week off and a beer festival might actually help.

13/03/2014