May 2019

So May was a reasonably solid month all things considered — 23 activities and just over ten hours of actual moving, which sounds more impressive than it probably was. Running carried most of the weight with 12 sessions and 85 kilometres on the legs, including the Run Gatwick half marathon which was the obvious highlight (and the obvious reason for a chunk of those 13 PRs, though I'll take them however they come). A handful of those runs happened on a treadmill in various hotel gyms, which tells you something about the month involving rather more work travel than is ideal for anyone trying to maintain any semblance of a training routine. I also managed to get back on the bike for a few commutes and squeezed in three pool swims, so at least May had some variety to it.

Compared to April though, the numbers tell a slightly uncomfortable story — April was 28 activities, nearly 900 minutes, over 100km of running alone, and apparently 33 PRs which I can only assume reflects a very good few weeks rather than an especially poor set of previous benchmarks. So May was quieter, shorter, and objectively a step back in volume, which is probably just the natural consequence of a big race month followed by the body and the diary both needing a moment to recalibrate. The running pace did improve slightly — 5:28 per kilometre versus 5:40 in April — which is at least something to hold onto. Going forward the question is whether I can string a few consistent weeks together without a half marathon or a business trip getting in the way, which feels like a reasonable ambition for June.

Summary generated by Claude