8x60-60/35:53 (3½ miles)

I've shuffled the schedule around a bit this week because we have a yoga class tonight. OK, that sounds a bit strained, but bear with me...

I've been taking a yoga class at work for a few weeks now. It's at lunchtime on Wednesdays, and although I tend to be a bit floppy afterwards I basically do alright. A couple of weeks ago, Jen and I started a new yoga class on Monday nights and it completely killed me. Tuesday was supposed to be speed training according to the hallowed schedule, but I managed (IIRC) about 22s of increased speed before I had to give up and go back to running at my base pace.

I was really quite annoyed about having to abandon that interval workout, and so this week I decided to move the speed training to Monday so that I would not have to bag the intervals again. Really glad I did this, too - the intervals were tremendously energising, and I completed the usual 3½ mile route in something approximating a normal time. And my toe didn't slow me down.

There is another reason to move the intervals, too - I have agreed to meet up with another couple of PFit runners tomorrow morning for a run, and they're not doing the intervals since they're both running with injuries of one variety or another. I also didn't think I'd be up to doing intervals as early in the morning as we are meeting: the run starts at 06:00.

I'm regretting this already, but my run will at least be out of the way at that point.

It'll probably be fine. I was complaining about my weight the other day, but the truth is that I feel better now than I have done for years. The PFit programme is making a huge difference to my general level of fitness - I mean, I ran twelve miles only a couple of days ago, and not only am I moving around today but I can do interval training!

At the end of my interval run I caught up with two colleagues who I have run with occasionally. They ran a slightly shorter route than I did and at a more consistent pace, but one of them was still breathing harder than usual five minutes later whereas my breathing had returned to normal. Six months ago I would still have been breathing hard, too.

I like being able to run long distances, but I think it's the improved recovery rate which I like most about being fitter.

Posted by Dunx at June 7, 2004 11:48 AM