22nd January 2010

            Waiting to go to work, listening to Hull City away at Reading. Not good listening, struggling against the home team. Still, it's early doors yet.

            A good coaching session this morning. If you want to be comfortable at reasonable Parish speeds then it's good to be able to maintain high speed for shorter distances. You have to average just over 3 and a half miles an hour to finish within the 24 hours. 4mph gets you 21h 15m. 5mph gives you 17hours. So it's easy to see, a little more speed knocks good time off, and if you practise at quicker speeds then slower speeds become more comfortable over longer distances.
          We did some warm up sprints, some technique, and then a timed 10k watched by the coach. Tried to keep to a 60 mins 10k to keep up the race walk style, and it seems to be coming along nicely. I can go quicker but start to lose technique, tripping over my feet and occasionally scuffing, but as I practise the speed slowly picks up. Got a 20k planned, and a possible 10 mile, then Northern area 20k for Yorkshire. I'm nowhere as fast as the young lads but in a team of four I can throw in a decent result, and there's no better experience than actual races.
        Also gotta keep my elbows in. If I don't concentrate I look as if I'm trying to take off. Do'h!