Another weekly target missed

Having set a 30 mile per week target for my Ljubljana Half Marathon prep with a minimum of one speed session or race per week I have, yet again, missed my target. My excuses; I've had a rubbish week; my windscreen cracked on the way home from a hen weekend in Bath; I got a speeding fine; I'm still tired from last week's work in the U.S. and work's been busy yet again. 

All that said I've enjoyed my running this week and even managed to squeeze in a weights session on Tuesday. Yesterday I finally took part in the JW Relay which is a 30-mile Ultra race or a Relay. I did the last leg of the relay (described by one of the Ultra runners as "the glory leg") as part of a team of Bournville Harriers, called "Canal we stop now?" in reference to the fact that the race is largely along the canal towpath between Stratford and Kings Norton, Birmingham. The race is run in memory of John Ward, a coach and Bournville Harrier (although well before my time), so there were plenty of other harriers there, taking part in the full distance or the relay (some doing two legs as part of their Autumn marathon preparations). 

Preparing for "the glory leg" at the Blue Bell Cider House

My leg was on a stretch of canal that I'm very familiar with, but even so I really enjoyed being part of the whole event. I was reasonably pleased with my time (although I think I should have gone out harder - my leg only ended up being 8.5 miles and I was off my 10-mile pace by quite some way). The goody bag alone was well worth the entry fee - a lovely kit bag, bobble hat and sunglasses as well as some chocolate and a granola bar.

Modelling the JW goodies - bobble-hat, bag and sunnies!

I finished the week with a 7-mile run averaging 9mm - I'm trying to get to a point where that feels like a comfortable pace and tonight it really did. I need to really start to focus on my half-marathon training now, with 6 weeks to go it really is time to get serious if I've any chance of a PB in Ljubljana!