Running

i can't decide to follow program and do an 8 miler LSR on Saturday or go for 2 laps of richmond park instead which is 14 miles, but it's what i did last sunday and i don't want to loose fitness in the first few weeks of my training programme

you won't lose fitness by cutting back this week, you might get injured by doing too many long runs tho. it's a long way to the start line, you want to be ready to race by then, not on the scrapheap, so stick to the programme IMO.