Week 13 - Hoping this was hump week

Unlucky number 13? This week got stuck with a work commitment - a tender submission that was hard to dodge or delegate.

Hard to dodge because it was going to be my project going forward.  Hard to delegate because I have no people yet.  No project, no people.  That's how it goes.

Not so unlucky.  If racing on Sunday wasn't an excuse for a rest day or two, I don't know what was.

As usual, I spent the week bringing bags of training clothes to offices.

The week started with a drive to Guildford where I did at least manage to walk to work from my mum-in-laws on Tuesday morning for all day meetings, walk home and then it was driving home via Berkshire on Wednesday.

I forced myself to swim on Thursday with pleasing results.  9 days out of the water meant that I suddenly trounced through 3000m without batting an eyelid then went on to complete another 500m and check my race time for the Ironman.  1hr 25 mins to date (this is in a pool, mind you).  I got into work late and left early for a massage (about time I took my life back)

That was me knackered for Friday though and I did a 13 hour day but at least I got my project out of the way before the holiday weekend and woke up fresh(ish) on Saturday  morning.

Outdoor swimming was rescheduled to Sunday so on Saturday we cycled into blue skies and were tormented by snow and hail and howling freezing winds in the hills.  We nearly called it quits early but battled through and back into blue skies to complete a tough, hilly 70 mile ride 40 minutes faster than my Brighton ride (which involved a lot of map-checking).  When I went to bed I was as tight as a run out dishcloth so I got up again at 00:45 to do some stretching in the loft, mostly fell asleep under a blanket and don't remember going back to bed but I did.

Sunday's swim did absolutely nothing for my confidence.  9 degrees, the short loop only.  I completed two circuits and, although tempted by a third, I decided to quit whilst I was ahead and woosed out of the brick run afterwards due to that wind.  I bimbled home via PC world so that I could pick up a Micro SD card to save my music on so I can drown out the phone calls of a particularly annoying office colleague who insists on doing shouty-business on speakerphone.

Back to the house for an afternoon of tech and yoga to stretch out the legs from yesterday's bike yet again.  This time it worked much better and it looks like Monday might actually be a day for my long run to happen.  14 miles this time.

I looked through old stats to set myself a target pace.  This is tricky though.  All my long runs from years gone by (and I'm surprised how few there are) have slow speeds like 4.5 miles per hour.  I guess I rest a lot.  Even my Forestman "race".

So I guess I will go out for a plod, aim for Headstone and see what happens.  The bananas are packed we are go.