Run: 5h 09m (39.1 miles) | Cross Train: 0h 00m | Gym: 0h 00m
A deliberately lighter week ahead of the Great North Run, keeping some quality in the legs without carrying unnecessary fatigue into Sunday.
The main session before the race was Tuesday’s treadmill work, with faster running surrounded by plenty of recovery. After that the mileage tapered away: easy running, a short Thursday outing and a very brief Saturday shakeout.
Sunday was the Great North Run. I finished in 1:27:25, running strongly through the first nine miles before easing the effort a little as heart rate sat stubbornly in the 170s. The race averaged 170 bpm and peaked at 177, so it was a proper effort without completely emptying the tank.
With the Chester Marathon the main target, the compromise made sense to me. A half marathon four weeks out needs to test the fitness without becoming the event that derails the marathon build.
The result is a useful marker: a strong first part of the race, a conscious decision not to chase the clock at any cost, and further evidence that the marathon work has put me in decent shape.
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