Roads 2 Rome by Menton

The first Gade Valley marathon training run of the winter this morning was considerably harder than I remember it ever being before.  The stagger of the start and falling in with the right pace group meant the first 3 miles along the tow path was considerably quicker than I've managed before, but that pace certainly hurt hitting the big hill over between the tow path and the drink station at 4 miles.

I usually stop at the drink station for a few step but this time it was a fair distance before I felt up to starting again with a reduced heart rate, yes I've had a sore throat over the past few days but surely that didn't make such a difference.  Thereafter I struggled to keep a comfortable pace and at time felt myself slowing deliberately to find a comfort zone which never arrived.  

At the end I was zonked to the degree that I had to sit in the club house and gouge myself on the fabulous cake provided by the club, choc chip was the choice I made.  If you've never done this run I really can't recommend enough, the marshalls and the whole club make everyone feel welcome and the run for being just on the fringe of the M25 is as far from the madding crowd as you can find.

I've felt wasted all day but having just checked my activity history have found out I was about 5 seconds a mile faster than last year so maybe thats why it hurt a little more and as I'm a year older maybe thats 6 seconds in veteran II terms.

Next week the Great Bentley half which I recall as being flat, so I suspect a major earthquake in Essex on Tuesday and the formation of a mountain range to match the Dolomites within 15 minutes, with the start of the race at sea level and the finish at 10,000 feet. Its just the way training feels at the moment with the gods and the tectonic plates against me.