The prospect of a Howarth sister head-to-head and the disappointment of no BUCS Cross Country Championships this year have led me to enter the 3,000m at the BUCS Indoors Athletics Championships to be held in four weeks time. I’m hoping that a couple of sessions at/above race pace in the next few weeks will provide me with the sharpness I am seriously lacking, otherwise I look set to be lapped (a lot of times!) by my younger sister live on channel 4. My one previous experience of racing indoors was about four years ago and, according to my Dad, I ‘got beaten by a shot-putter’!

Monday:

60 min + strides. 40 min with Andy, G, Tommy P and Proc. Run to and from MC but for the middle bit just ran round the pitches. With the snow covering them you could see perfectly in the dark and it was pretty cool apart from the sleet. Felt alright and enjoyed the conditions in a funny sort of way.

Tuesday:

PM – 16min WU; 1 min, 2*2min, 2*3min, 2*4min with 1 min recoveries. 17min WD

Felt all over the place on first couple of reps, no rhythm, then settled down and was fine.

Wednesday:

Mon 9th:
AM-
PM- Jog to training and back WU/WD (4miles) + Drills
Grass session. 1x6mins, 2x4mins, 4x2mins hard. 90 secs rec after everything. Very thick snow-hard work.

Tues 10th:
AM-
PM- Jog to training and back WU/WD (4miles) + Drills
Training indoors due to track being closed.
1k, 800, 600, 400, 200. 4mins rec after each rep.
2:48, 2:08, 93, 57, 25.
Felt too easy all the way through the session but times were good and Im scared of running too hard with no morning runs, getting into great shape and peaking in April!

Wed 11th:
Rest Day

Thurs 12th:

Tapering for BUCs XC

Mon 2nd-
AM- 4mile loop in 29:46 very deep snow.
PM- 6miles in the snow 43:27.
Very hard running, foot was slipping a bit and shin began to "twinge"

Tues 3rd- Rest for shin

Wed 4th-
AM- 6miles in snow 41:03
PM- Rest

Thurs 4th-
Rest Day

Fri 5th-
AM- Travel to Aberdeen
PM- 4+mile jog, 30:42
Night out-race cancelled due to snow

Sat 6th-
AM- 10min WU/WD in snow. + Drills.
Sesion in snow, 8x3mins 90secs rec.
Felt great....tapered for this session.
PM- Rest and night out

Sun 7th-
Travel back to leeds. Didnt run at all.

Mon 26th:
AM- 4mile loop in 25:50, ran till 30:05
PM- Jog to training and back WU/WD (4miles) + Drills.
3x(3x400m) 1min rec, 5mins in sets. Getting quicker each rep
1: 65, 64, 63. 2: 64, 63, 62. 3: 64, 63, 60.
Felt good, in flats.

Tues 27th-
AM- 4mile loop in 25:54, ran till 29:40
PM- 5miles easy 34:01

Wed 28th-
AM- Jog to training and back WU/WD
8k BUCs trial. 33:__
2nd to Duffield. Very easy running, very muddy though.

Thurs 29th-
AM- 4.5mile loop 30:09
PM- Jog to training and back WU/WD (4miles) + to hills and back (2)