Ok, it’s getting close now.

MONDAY
5K Treadmill 33:35.

TUESDAY
Track session: Threshold training – 6 x 5mins at 5mins/K plus warm up and cool down runs. 7.08 miles in total.

WEDNESDAY
Rest Day.

THURSDAY
7K run back from work 45 mins.

FRIDAY
5K treadmill 32:09.

SATURDAY
20K run – about 2 hours, was meant to be 30K but knee and hip were aching, plus low energy and high humidity.

SUNDAY
REST – flying to London.

TOTAL MILEAGE: 29 miles

Last week was my last week in Doha. My 6 month contract is up and I am due a nice break from the toils of television for 6 weeks of running and time with the family. I was hoping for a little more mileage than 29, but general fatigue, work, and the absence of the Shamal bought the humidity back, making it harder to get beyond 2 hours of running.

My Tuesday track session was remarkably pleasant although it threw a bit of a spanner into my perception of my fitness levels. You see, we were doing threshold intervals. We were running in 5 minute blocks, at a pace you could race at for 1 hour – and then be done. So I pitched my pace at somewhere between my current and ideal 10K PB.

Last recorded 10K PB: 53 minutes
Ideal 10K PB: 50 minutes

Given that anything low 6 is usually tough out here, 5min K’s (outside) felt like a good challenge. I went out on track with a couple of DBRC buddies of mine as we were all aiming for a similar pace. Something didn’t feel right when on our perceived easy warm up we were cruising around at 5:30s.  We shot out the metaphorical blocks at our 5min/K pace and after 30 odd minutes I was still keeping the pace and finding it, well, quite easy. Which bought into question my understanding of just where my limits are.

Maybe all this speed training has paid off. Can I get around Marysville (despite the hills) closer to 4 hours than I thought I could? Can I theoretically run a 3:30 marathon? Oh God! Oh Jurek!!*, I don’t need these time based dilemma’s 3 weeks out.

A Sneak Peek

So, I am 2 days into the next week, I have been in London since Sunday night, I managed to get a run out Monday evening. So, how did it go? Well! Surprisingly well!! I am running in an area I used to run a while ago. So not only is it nice to have temperatures in the teens, green leaves, even pavements and air that is not thick with moisture and desert heat, but running some of the routes I ran near the beginning of my journey as a runner is nostalgic.

As you can see, it went well, the fastest 10K I have run in a while, and running at comfortable effort level I was not too far off beating my current 10K PB. On Wednesday I am running 20 miles and there is the chance of wind and rain.

Bring it on, I say 😀

*This is a jest, not worship of false idols. Please don’t smite me.