Week one training complete

So I've just finished my first full week of training in 4-5 months (it depends on if you count running 12 half marathons in 12 days as training) which to be honest surprised me a little when I just worked it out. Despite it being quite so long I'm actually feeling really good and performed a lot better than I was expecting.

I missed S&C this week. I'm fine with that as I had some stuff crop up but I can't afford to neglect it as if I have any hope of making it to my 50 mile race I need to get quite a bit stronger than I am now. I did complete all of my 4 runs which ended up totalling 28 miles which is a pretty decent total at any time for training towards marathons and shorter ultras (obviously depending on targets, I only really train to get around events hopefully not feeling too awful rather than going as fast as I possibly can).

Tuesday was an absolutely stunning Spring evening and I really enjoyed being out even though the majority of the route was pretty dull. I did manage to get around 2 miles in the community woods though and they were pretty great. Wednesday's and Friday's runs were mostly forgettable but I completed them as planned and without any issues. Sunday's long run was pretty good, definitely the nicest weather since probably last Autumn and another nice run along the cost. I'll travel to some hills at some point but in the mean time the miles through sand and dunes are going to be pretty important in building up my leg strength as a hill alternative and offers some pretty great views too.

The biggest surprise this week was how much fitter and stronger I felt than last Sunday. I knew my fitness would build back fairly quick but I thought I would just be feeling knackered by the end of this week. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going overboard on this and know I have a long way to go to get in proper shape. I'm also expecting a dip some time over the next week when my body gets a little freaked out by the sudden increase in running volume. When that happens I'll need to see exactly how I feel but will be prepared to have a slightly easier few days if needed but also don't want to take it too easy. As with a lot of things in life it will be a delicate balancing act.

Next week

Here's next week's plan. which I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to. The focus will be to just continue plugging away on the miles, prioritise starting the S&C and making sure I'm spending a bit more time on recovery (better to get in to good habits before I really feel the need for extra recovery).

Day	Session
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	35 mins tempo
Wednesday	10 mins easy, 15 mins tempo, 3 mins easy, 25 mins long pace, 10 mins easy
Thursday	S&C
Friday	6 miles at long pace
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	15 miles; 5 mins easy, slowly increase pace to run the majority at long pace, end with a few mins easy