Lockett's Rockets and a submarine

I was whacked after Sunday's half and not feeling healthy at all. Cough has become productive, so was 50/50 for session.

At the start there was only Aysha when I got there, but there were soon plenty of Neil B's buddies and finally a few rockets I recognised.

Decided to see what the session was before making the do it don't do it decision. It was called as an inverted pyramid off half recovery. So run on for 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 with half the on as the recovery. I decided to do it, but at not anything like full pace.

Several cotton shirted newbies zoomed off with the semi elite group and I took my rightful place at the back and watched them disappear. To my amazement after a couple of minutes the back group had slowed to my pace which was just inside half marathon at this point. Not feeling great, but not feeling like I am making myself any more ill so keep at it.

Steady as she goes takes me to the out bound 2 and 1 min reps which I make sure are no faster than Aysha. We turn and with only 30 recovery I suddenly find myself at 5km pace and Aysha closing fast. Two fast on the return 2 mins so stop and recovery and she over took me. Timed the 3min rep better and overtook Aysha. By this time the elite are coming through.

Rep 4 kicks off. I'm one minute in and happy at 5km pace. Newbie comes past me just before the bridge and is closely tailed by Neil and Ian (I think) who over take him in the tunnel. He stepped aside to let them through and slipped on the wet towpath and went right into the canal! When I came around the corner I could just see a head poking out of the water. Somehow he got his hands onto the side and vaulted out of the water and continued the rep like nothing had happened. I over took him. Interestingly no-one interrupted their rep to check he was ok. I was overtaken by an elite and decided to lock on for the last minute, which I did, held him to the end of the rep.

Jogged back to see how the tri-athlete (ha ha) was and he was ok. I introduced my self. His name? Bob. You could not make this stuff up.

Then someone else appears jogging in. He's Matt and he blew up having gone off too fast in the heat, but used to do a lot of interval training in the past.

Things just got very interesting at the back of the pack.