Well that was rubbish wasn't it?

I'd been quite pleased with my running regime since the Reading HM - with one exception (and there were mitigating circumstances like doing it on top of a full English breakfast) have managed to do all my scheduled runs in reasonable comfort and without a walk break. I'd done 30m, a broken 30m, 30m, 35m, 30m, 30m, 30m, at a gentle 10-11 minutes per mile.

Today I set myself 45 minutes.

It was a disaster.

I started off fine. The first mile flew by and I was going comfortably. Then my breathing began to fall apart. I had to stop for a short walk break at Fobney Lock after 20 minutes, and then struggled on until I had to pull up at 35 minutes for a long walk.

Out of self-disgust I made myself do bursts of running after that, including making myself run up a hill as a punishment, and doing a full knees-up spring for a couple of minutes, and I probably ran 45 minutes altogether but I don't think that kind of broken running is doing much to build my stamina.

What really bugs me is that, nine months after I first ran 30 minutes non-stop, I still can't do much more than that without stopping to get my breath back, however gently I take it. I shouldn't really be getting this puffed out, should I? That's not what it says in the books. And I find myself wanting compared to the woman interviewed on Woman's Hour this week, who went from nothing to London Marathon ins six months - and she didn't stop for a walk until 20 miles.

I bet this never happened to Paula Radcliffe!