Learning from mistakes....

After a good spell I seem to be going through a bit of a bad patch running wise after another below par performance at the Wells 10k Sunday. Did my usual hard session last Tuesday of 2 x 5mins, 2 x 4mins, 2 x 3mins 2 x 1mins off 60 seconds recovery on grass and that went very well, running relaxed and a fairly decent pace but then the days after that I was feeling worse and worse instead of the body feeling more recovered!! Certainly wasnt the training intensity as was just running easy 5 miles the days leading up to the race but feeling more and more tired. The usual shift change at work didnt help last week as I finished work 9pm Thursday and had to start 8am the following day!! Think I got 4 hours sleep which finished me off for the weekend and wasnt feeling it all day Saturday. Come race day on Sunday after the first mile my legs were already feeling heavy and could feel my body beginning to just fall out from under me but still managed to finish second only 15 seconds off the leader in a slow 33:58 although the course was far from fast as had to run up a pretty steep 300 meters each lap which basically finished me off. No disrespect to the winner but I am usually a minute clear of him in recent races and was pretty annoyed at the finish! Sunday my housemate commented on how swollen my glands were and I wasnt feeling too great and Monday I went for my usual easy 5 mile run but turned around after 2.5 miles as just wasnt worth it as the glands were instantly swallon again and felt generally rubbish. Took Tuesday off from running altogether and this evening just a steady 40minutes with Kevin Sparey and although my legs are still struggling generally starting to feel better. Now if we reqind 3 years and when I was training flat out while at university in Cardiff I know I wouldnt have listened to my body as I would have hammered a 10 mile run on the Monday and then struggled through a speed session Tuesday which would have finished me off and put me in bed for a week!!! So I guess I have finally learned my lessons however long it took! I will proberly sack of any hard runs this week and go from there and proberly miss this months Yeovilton 5k as have nothing to gain and everything to lose when not at full health!