5.6 miles steady

As part of a tapering plan before Saturday's race I took a break on Tuesday (helped by terrible weather) and felt better than usual at the start of football on Wednesday, but worse after the game, and didn't go out for a run afterwards (also helped in this decision by terrible weather). I was more or less back to running condition by Thursday evening so went to training. Low numbers overall meant fewer packs than usual. The enlarged fast pack set off at a very slow pace and the two of us who would normally be in the regular fast pack broke away up Drymen Road, without really pushing it, as we all had half an eye on the cross-country - this was also why I left the Newtons at home and ran in my Brooks Racers although the sole started to peel off again in the rain. The route took us over Stockiemuir Avenue and back down Milngavie Road. Distance was 5.64 miles, time 40:31 for a 7:11/mile average. Pace splits: 8:31, 7:31, 7:02, 6:39, 6:40, 6:27.