Wedging in the Pfitz

Well if that title doesn't set an expectation nothing else will...

But seriously my friends, have you seen the 12 week Pfitz plan? I know I've gone on about the weekly mileage and it truly is a higher mileage than I've done before on my calm, sedate, friendly little schedules with Uncle Hal Higdon. But the clincher, I am finding, is just how these miles are distributed throughout the week. Because you don't get lots of nice little 5, 6, 7 milers in the week which add up to a respectable mid-week mileage. No, no, no. I'm playing with the big people now. Mid-week run today - BAM! - 11 miles. In the top week - where you run 55 miles - the miles are distributed as follows: 6, 12 (with 7 at 15K pace), 12, 5 and 20. Hoo-ah!

So yes, in other words, I've started. Sticking with the opposite of me scheme, I'm exercising prudence and caution (believe me, I have NEVER ever been described by anyone as prudent or cautious). So I've added 2 weeks onto the 12 week schedule. There's a chance I might be able to squeeze in a ski-break somewhere in the next 6 weeks which would take some days out, and there is also a chance my son might have to go to hospital (a minor procedure in an ongoing thing, but still stressful and I'm unlikely to be able to fit a 50M week around it). If neither of these things transpire in the training schedule, by about week 6/7 I will see how I feel and double up a week - if I'm tired I'll use it as week to take it easy, if I'm full of beans I will double a higher-intensity week. Plus, I don't know what it's like around where you are but EVERYONE has been really ill here for the past 6 weeks and so far we've avoided it. I'm hoping that my *healthy* lifestyle is protecting me but really - I could so easily get felled. In fact, at the moment I have a very considerably head cold. It seems to be sticking in my head, no fever, no other symptoms, so I'm just babying myself, lots of Vit C, sleep where I can find it and generally being gentle with myself (other than running my legs off). But should the worst happen and should I get felled by flu, I have built in a cushion of 2 weeks in my schedule and I won't have to miss training.. Oh dedication.

So how's it going? Well it's going fine. But it's a wedge. The days are long at the moment - work is busy, family's busy, and wedging in 9 miles on top of that in the evening in the dark - not always easy. So far - half-way through week 2 - I'm doing okay. I'm switching some of the runs around so that I can do the longer ones on the days where I'm not working or working from home.

Update from my sickbed - well that was prophetic of me. After running 11 miles yesterday (in 1:45) and feeling much better, I was whammied overnight with a temperature and this morning flu has set in. Unfortunately I had to go to work this morning but by lunchtime I delegated everything and went home. Found myself in the bathtub at 1am this morning (I just couldn't get warm) contemplating going out for my 5 miler at 5:30am. I was just about to google advice on it when I thought "no - I am insane. I don't need google to tell me that you don't run with a temperature". So darn it. I've missed today's 5 miler and am unlikely to do tomorrow's 8 miler. As for Sunday's 15 miler we shall see. Depending on how the next few days go, I might repeat this week's workouts next week or carry on... Obsessive? Me?

I don't feel too bad though - I'm hoping that a few days of being kind to myself and resting will do the trick and see me through. Till soon my friends - happy running and don't have whatever I'm having!