After 3 good runs and 3 very intense gym sessions this week I was all set to put in a good effort for the hilly 6 mile course in and around Jesmond Dene. I set off at a good pace with Dave, Carlton, Colin and Chris. Things took a turn for the worse, however, at the 2 mile point. All of a sudden, I didn't feel like I had any energy at all and both my arms and legs felt like jelly. Oh dear! I hadn't even got to the hilly bit yet. The morning's gym session had obviously taken it's toll. The last time I felt as weak as this was mile 35 of day 1 on the C2C run in 2005. Now the old me would have turned back to Gosforth and called it a day. The new me decided to see what the effects of a hilly 6 mile run would be with very little energy. It wasn't a pretty sight! I was just about managing a 13 minute mile pace and I was so hungry! Even now, writing this entry into my blog, my arms feel a tad fragile.
So I'll put this one down to experience. I have been doing 2 workouts some days for the last 3 weeks. I haven't increased the calorie intake though! Clearly, I think I need to eat more between workouts.
Thankfully, I have a rest day tomorrow before attempting the very difficult 22 mile route through the North Pennines from Castleside to Middleton on Sunday. The run I've really got my eye on is on Monday. It'll be interesting to see how I react on Monday's 5 miles to the Race Course with Sunday's 22 mile effort still evident in my legs.
