Continuing my preparation for the Commonwealth Championships I've just begun the second week of tapering (out of three).  Last week the mileage was 30 miles, this week it will be 40 and for the final week 20 [not including the race].

If that seems a little strange it's because the final week before tapering was my crash training period and to help recovery after that intense seven day period I half my normal weekly mileage.

Also in the final three weeks I try to include some heat training sessions, ie training with lots of clothes.

Yesterday afternoon I took part in another relay for Otley AC.  This time it was the Yorkshire Road Relay Championships at Headingley, Leeds.  I completed the windy 4 miles (6.4 km) in 24:20 which I'm very pleased about as that's the equivalent of about 18:50 for 5k.

Fifteen teams started.  The A team finished third and the B team (for which I ran the first stage) finished ninth.

Also, for the first time ever, Otley AC had a women's team taking part.  In my time as secretary (1999 to 2009) I tried incessantly to get a women's team together for various road relays.  Always without success for one reason or another.  It didn't help that some senior women seemed to have the attitude that in general the club's women were not up to the required standard.

I always thought that was irrelevant and that it was the taking part that was most important.  If the team came last then at the very least they would have learned from the experience.  So, well done to Tamara Weatherhead, Liz Ashton, Liz Fawcett and Caron Ralph.