And relax.......

Thankfully I got it wrong. I will be able to do the training run next Monday to qualify for the London Marathon team. Phew.

I celebrated tonight by going out and running some Yasso 800s. Bart Yasso found a simple correlation between an 800 metre track session and the runner's marathon time. If you want to run a 3 hour marathon then if you can do a track session that involves running 10 x 800, with each rep in 3 minutes and with a 3 minute rest interval, then you should have it in you to complete it (on the understanding that you are getting your long runs and mp runs in too.) apparently, this should work for any marathon time. Want to run a 4 hr 20 marathon? Then do your 800s in 4 minutes 20 seconds with an equal rest. Simples.

So some 20 odd years after last stepping onto the Kingsmeadow track in anger I went to run 7x800 in 3.10 with a 3.10 rest. The idea is that one works up to the 10 reps over a number of weeks. My times were 2.58, 54, 49, 51, 49, 52, 54. So, is this good or bad? Good, I guess in that my reps were considerably more speedy than planned but bad in that my pacing is obviously all over the place. I think it also confirms what I already knew. Speed work I can do, pure endurance which is needed for a marathon? Not so much. :-/
 I'll attempt the session again with 8 reps in a fortnight and try to even them out to 2.55 and shorten the recovery. Tomorrow will be a rest day and lots of stretching.