Week 3 - the wall already?

I managed a couple of runs mid week.  30 mins easy on Tuesday with Cadence drills: 3.16 miles average 9:30 pace, then I did 45 mins on Wednesday in London with 2 miles at marathon pace:

Mile 1: 9:12

Mile 2: 8:28

Mile 3: 8:31

Mile 4: 9:57

4.75: 12:12 - bloody traffic lights and road crossings.

Unfortunately, I think pushing to mara pace in the polluted city set me back a bit.  Felt a bit fuzzy headed and phlegmy on Thursday morning.  So I decided to take some extra rest from running- no run Thursday or Friday.  My HR did get pretty high in the Marathon pace section, however, it did feel much easier to do than the last time I did that run.  I also managed to sit at a more even pace througout, whereas lasttime I did a lot of setting off too fast, and then slowing down by the end of the mile, only to have to pick up the pace in the second mile to remain on pace.  I think next time I do this workout, I'll set up the average pace mode in my garmin for it.

On Saturday I did park run and decided to run it with my fiancé.  I still wasn't feeling tip top, so didn't want to push it.  Need to develop some patience though.  I found it incredibly challenging to run a hilly 3 miles where the first mile was done in 8:30, my marathon pace, and the last mile was over 11 minutes.  Our time was 31:47, a personal worst for me.

Today I went out for 12 miles, I had spent the morning tracking my friends who were running the Yorkshire Marathon.  An extra special mention to @tinyrunner85 who completed her first ever marathon in 3:32:15.  As an Essex gal, I'm 'well Jel' she achieved a Boston qualifier and London good for age all in one.  I however, went out for a 12 mile easy run and managed to hit the wall at 6 miles in!?!?  I can only explain it in that I didn't eat all that much yesterday and had had a flu vaccination that had made me feel a bit woozy, added to which I had an asthma attack in the night, so didn't get the best sleep.  I almost didn't do my run at all, but was feeling inspired by the York marathon runners.

Really glad I got out for it, but after 6 miles I sat on a bench outside the pub in Wivenhoe and had to fight the urge to go in for a coke.  Then at 8 miles I just wanted to walk, so tweeted.  Got some support from @mia79gbr, which was lovely, but I was already out of fuel and started to think about what the reasons could be. At 9 miles I was almost going to ask David to pick me up, but then I saw a couple out power walking.  They were of the larger variety, and it made me think that they were probably on the start of their journey to health, and if they were out doing it in these conditions, then I shouldn't give up.  That got me to 10 miles, then I switched the garmin off.  I really had nothing.  Then it started raining and I managed to run another half mile, then I really had absolutely nothing.  Walked the rest of the way home, and about 5 minutes after I got in, it started chucking it down!!

Feeling a lot better now I've had a home made beef Wellington adm some yummy red wine, which makes me think it really was a fuelling issue.  Still, 22 miles done this week, so I'm happy.