For once, I was quite fresh going into last Sunday's 10.5 mile Peter's Pies 6 Tyne Bridges Challenge.
Thanks to pace setters Lewis Edes and Mike Lewis I managed to get round in 01:32:59 knocking a good 4 minutes off my previous PB.
This is the second time in recent weeks that I've knocked a good chunk of time off my previous best for various runs. I'm putting this down, in part, to the good work that masseur John Addison has put in with me. I've started running with a far more upright posture since seeing John for the first time 3 weeks ago and generally feel in much better nick.
It might be some time before I get the chance to run that quick again. I'm not at the stage (and may not get to it) where I can run sub 9 minute miles within a high mileage week. 12 months ago I was smashing all kinds of PBs running short distances at a decent pace. This year, my training has changed dramatically and the sole aim is simply to get from A to B with a view to be able to run B to C the following day and so on. This strategy will be the key to completing my training injury free while allowing me to get the big miles done.
There will be times, just like last Sunday, where I'll throw caution to the wind and just try to run as fast as I can. Those occasions won't come about that often however between now and August 2011. There will be a lot of sponsor money for St Benedict's Hospice and The Children's Foundation riding on the successful completion of the run across the USA in 2011. Self preservation and discipline are the order of the day now.
