I used my rest days wisely last week.  At least that’s what I told myself, according to my wife I was just making a mess.  She had a point – I’d recovered boxes from the garage where things were safely packed away after our last house move in order to dig out my old Mini Disc player and a bunch of audio cables.

 

The plan was to start converting all my old DJ sets from disc to MP3 so I can add to my nearly exhausted music library which I’m using to keep me occupied on training runs.  Logic dictates I should just take the Mini Disc player out on my run, but it’s bulky, heavy and at more than 15 years old I doubt the battery would hold its charge for very long.

 

 

 

I love listening to music while I run.  I didn’t bother at first because I couldn’t find a set of earphones that would stay in place, but since discovering Yurbuds my iPod comes with me on every outing.

 

And I’ve found mix sets are perfect running material – no breaks in the music, consistent tempo and (if they’ve been well put together) a good selection of uplifting songs.  Handy then that, for a good chunk of my youth, I was an enthusiastic bedroom DJ and very occasional bar / club performer.

 

My tastes vary, but on the whole it’s dance, house, trance, hardcore / rave and happy hardcore that finds its way onto my playlists.  It’s quite funny because now I’ve started to associate different genres with different mile splits!  Late 90s / early 00s hardcore will, for example, see you carding 8 minute miles if you run to the beat!

 

 

 

Now the long runs are getting longer, my weekly road time is four to five hours.  That’s a lot of music if you want to avoid repetition!  So there is method in my madness to revive all this old content, plus it’s fun discovering sets I haven’t listened to in years.

 

It certainly came in useful for Sunday’s long run, my furthest so far at 17 miles.  I was really pleased with how it went.  It came off the back of a cough and a cold that made the previous week’s training a bit of a chore.  I’ve finally shaken off the worst of the germs and by Sunday morning I was feeling pretty much back to normal.

 

Total mileage for the week was 33, just a mile off my target.  I managed the 17 in 2hrs 28, averaging 8:42 per mile which I’m delighted with.  What’s especially encouraging is the consistency of pace, the first 13 miles were all between 8:10 and 8:44 (with the exception of one where I slipped on a muddy towpath and had to take a few seconds to pick myself up and be thankful for no injuries…phew!).

 

I’m taking part in the Stafford 20 event in three weeks and I think I’m ready for it.  That’s the next big milestone to aim for – reaching 20 miles.  Then I’ll wind the training back a bit before resuming big mileage ready for London itself.

 

In other news, I’ve also made some headway on my fundraising for Beacon Centre.  I’m nearly halfway to my target (past it if you count gift aid) so hopefully I can keep the £s rolling in and get them the funds they need.

 

Oh and here’s a neat segway.  If you like listening to music while you train then I have a little offer for you to consider!

 

I’ve been giving friends who sponsor me links to download some of my DJ sets as a thank you.  Why waste a tenner on the latest Ministry of Sound album when you can access hours of properly mixed dance music AND do some good for charity at the same time?

 

If anyone is interested then my fundraising page is here.  There’s no minimum donation, just whatever people can spare.  Then PM me (olas_77) or drop me a tweet (@olas_77) with your details and I’ll send you a link to music that will put a spring in your step, and perhaps even a PB on your watch!

 

Thanks, and I hope everyone else is enjoying their training and making good progress.