The 5% in the title refers to the average gradient of the 4 x 1km hill repetitions I did Tuesday afternoon. I wasn't feeling comfortable with my body nor with my clothes. Neither did I relish the fumes of the passing traffic, albeit rather light at that time of day. I suppose I have been spoilt by the quality of air I find during my early morning runs or when I'm on the trails. However, this week I shifted the key sessions to the afternoon just to see if it makes the workouts feel any easier. Which it didn't really. What it did allow though was for me to luxuriate in bed an extra hour-and-a-half. Bliss!

To keep with the weeks theme of "change", I decided to do my long run off-road. With it being close to three hours, this is now my longest (time-wise) trail run ever done in training. The distance covered was nothing grand - 23k - but the Karraba section wasn't a run at all. I ignored the "main" path to explore other routes and so was reduced to a walk and occasionally had to resort to clambering over the rocky obstacles. Plus, I don't have a problem interrupting my run so that I can take in a marvellous view or inspect an interesting specimen of flora or fauna.

Trail Lippija 12-02-2012