Tired Tuesday. - Wk16 19th Jan 2010

Did not want to get up this morning to go for a swim. Felt tired even though I'd gone to bed early. Admittedly I'd read the chapter on Ultramarathon Running in Tim Noakes book "The Lore of Running". Really good book I must get my own copy and return this one. I then started a new novel Azincourt by Bernard Cromwell. Even so I put those down at 11pm so ought to have been able to get up at 6am. Took until 8:30am to get out of bed which is the latest I can leave it to get to work (sort of) on time.
Laying in bed probably did me some good, though racked with guilt that wasn't 2 hours of quality sleep and means I'm behind schedule before the week's routine even starts.
Did manage to get out for the 10x 400m run efforts at lunchtime with Paul French. The head was still groggy, the legs were protesting and a busy week at work was on my mind. I was meant to be targetting 80-85 seconds for the 400m efforts. I was struggling to get under 90 and on the 7th with my mind thinking how I was going to get the long run in tomorrow, the swim I've missed and the mile efforts in on Friday that effort slipped to 95. Each effort started fresh enough thanks to the 90s rest, but 'sharp' wouldn't be a way to describe how ever Paul or I were feeling. Legs didn't feel quite like jelly. They didn't feel like they were going to give way. Rather, they felt obstanent and unco-operative. Wasn't as out of breath on this session this week as last, I'm blaming the legs because they just wouldn't go round fast enough to stress the heart and the lungs. I'm sure a comparison of the heart rate trace to last weeks will show that. I did absolutely nail the start of the 10th and final effort. Got to 300m absolutely flying (well as near to it as possible for me) but then faded significantly, though even slowing over the last 100m posted a time of 80seconds. Maybe there was some subconciousness thoughts trying to preserve the legs for what is to come over the next few days, though I did feel better for that blow out.
Now need to work out how to fit in an 18mile (2.5hour) run into tomorrow's schedule around meetings solidly from 9am through to 6pm. I suspect trying to get a swim in as well is being just too optimistic.