Day 26 - 5.47 miles in total - details below

Today was techniques running with Stefan, the olympic silver medalist at triathlon (name dropping). A very nice man. We did a warm up loop - I was downgraded to a 4k loop to be done in the same time it took the other to do a 5k loop. I wasn't too fussed about this, although did feel a bit miffed that the group weren't really making any effort to include me. I did 2.2 miles in a gentle 19.26 mins @ 8.46/mile - strong wind this morning, started off sunny so i came down in vest and shorts, and got majorly piddled on for a few minutes during the warm-up loop. All lovely and sunny again when we got back to the track.

Then we did our drills and techniques - which I enjoyed, mainly because they are all done over the same 20-30 metre part of the track and I can keep up with everyone else. We were joined by the very tall current world trithlon champion, who i think is from Estonia but was too starstruck to ask.

I did the 5k loop to cool down, partly because I wanted to know what I'd missed out on, partly becuase I hadn't yet done the required 3 miles but mainly just becuase I was enjoying running, the sun, the freedom of just being able to! Had a lovely time, not particularly fast, but the wind is fairly savage today.Did 3.25 miles in 27.46 mins @ 8.32/mile. All the other fast people had finished their techniques session and disappeared before the cool down, so I was the only one left to finish the session. thinking Phil, Thomas and Stefan would go round again, I headed off first for a head start. Just as I got to the point where I was stuck as where to go next, Stefan appeard on my shoulder and showed me the rest of the way, running ahead in his yellow jacket. Lovely route around the lagoon, I really enjoyed it.

Supposed to be a 2 hour bike ride this afternoon, but I know I won't keep up without almost busting a gut, and therefore I might go out on my own. I was going to do the Green team duathlon this morning but that was curtailed rather by stomach cramps. Thats the other hidden agenda for this months running, is to run through period pain without letting it stop me! I may have used a few extra painkillers in expectation, but it hasn't actually stopped me running yet.

Tomorrow is a difficult one because I want to do the green team half marathon in practice for Reading - would give me a lot of confidence. Only I also want to go out for a long bike ride - 4 hours planned - and Rose had volunteered to stay with me. Not sure which will win yet, as I think realistically its one of the other as they are both scheduled for the morning. We'll see . . . . .