Interval run from hell

Sometimes, just sometimes, you think that finally everything is getting back on track and then life kicks you in the nuts once again! At the weekend it felt, after a couple of lousy months, like I was back to feeling sharp and strong. So, foolishly, I was quite looking forward to doing mile repeats around Green Park this lunchtime. The weather was grey but I felt good and on the jog over I bumped into Paul, from TriLondon, as he drilled a hapless office-worker into some form of fitness in St. James Park. Given that he has three Ironman races booked for this year alone that could only be a good omen!

So, anyway, I was warmed-up, ready for action, and, for maybe the first minute of the first lap, running well. Then something happened - maybe I stepped in a hole or landed badly or something - and with a sickening, twisting, sliding sensation I jerked a muscle in my lower back. Oh my but was it painful! So I ran on, of course, but it's surprising how much a back that spasms with the slightest jolt mucks up your ability to run! From that moment on, and for each of the four laps, it was all about survival, pain-management and sheer bloody-mindedness. I wasn't going to stop but for each of the repetitions to take just over 7 minutes is frankly shocking!

Yes there's the evidence; warm-up and warm-down with four intervals inbetween (and four two-minute recovery breaks). On a good day (as happened last September) the intervals tend to drop from 6:30 down to 6:00 as I work through the set and put a bit more effort in; so today really was very frustrating. Even worse my back now hurts like a thousand angry Cossacks and I'm quite, quite miserable. For once there is no upside to draw out of the experience either - I just hope to be back on my feet for the Regents Park 10K this Sunday. We'll see.

Distance: 7.3 miles

Time: 1h 03m 11s