so after some missed commitments - weights, swim on Sunday, stretching.. - i lined myself up to attend the Kent AC training session on Tuesday night. i got back from work and picking up Joe by six, then had some nuts and raisins to top up before making my way down to the Ladywell Arena for just before seven.
it was immediately clear to me that there was a good social group of people - mostly women - gathering there. i announced myself as a newbie and, after the coach there got my PB for the half, got taken to meet the A- and B-groups. their coaches hadn't yet arrived, so i took a turn round the park as a warm-up with the A-group. i wasn't on my own as a new recruit. another guy from nearby was also there for the first time. he had a similar background in running to me - although had run four marathons. we learnt from the A guys that their's was a pretty good gathering of talent. they said it was hard to get a good group of people together in London, because of everyone being so widely distributed. one of the group was away at the CWG, and i learnt that another there had a 67min half to his name and finished 30th at London this year. pretty clear this was going to be a fair bit too quick for me..
when we got back we had a chat with one of the guys from the B-group, who were going to do 6 x 1200m round the park. [the track is still closed - til next Friday - for resurfacing etc.] he was happy enough with my 10k PB but it sounded like i was going to get stretched. i decided to drop down again and take it easier on the Achilles this week. turns out that was a good idea..
so - back to the social group. it was quite a mixed bunch, but everyone in good spirits and really friendly. we headed up to Hilly Fields Park on the hill above the running track. there we did hill repeats. the uphill-downhill stretches were maybe a minute or so long, and we took 3min breaks in between pairs. from my count i think we did 4 repeats up-and-down. it took its toll, but i was pleased with how it went. i did well on the uphill sections, but took it easy on the downhill to protect my heel. seemed like the best thing to do considering even this session was probably beyond what i should have sensibly been doing in my rebuild to full training.
we jogged back and i pretty much headed straight back home. i cold-showered immediately, and had a plate of the delicious lamb stew Poll had prepared earlier - and i'd had to bear not eating between six and seven. i RICEed the ankle with 2 x 20min ice after. while it's still tender at the base of the tendon - and remains so now - it doesn't feel like it did when it came on. now it feels more controllable. i took some ibuprofen this morning to help it along, and i'll probably keep that up twice a day for a little while.
so, all in all, it was a major success. i can see me progressing up to the B-group there - if that works for them too.. would be great to get really pushed at least once a week alongside some good club runners. i think it'll stand me in great stead for any future races. very happy i went..
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