Just back from another canalside lunchtime tempo run. A little less effort than last week, resulting in 30s longer to finish. Will try and push on to that dry heave threshold again next week.
I don't encounter as many quirky characters on my runs as some others of this parish. But on Wednesday lunchtime I normally pass a couple of chaps down by the canal. Aged around 70, portly, well-dressed and at this time of year in heavy coats and hats - one a fur number, one a trilby, if I recall correctly. With their steel-rimmed square spectacles, they have something of the 70s cold war agent about them. One of them is often drinking from a small brown glass bottle marked "supermalt", which I would assume is a sports drink of some kind. Unless there's something stronger in there.
Today I met them earlier than usual, and not walking at their normal leisurely rate. They had built a small fire by the side of the path, and were feeding pieces of paper into it from a carrier bag. Some would say that's just a sensible way to prevent identity theft when you can't afford a shredder, but I'm sure there's a more sinister explanation. I passed them again on my return leg, no sign of the ashes now, but one was helping the other with his waistband underneath the back of his coat... just where you would wear a bugging device or other hidden piece of electronics.
A return to tempo running means a return to running with music, and the well used "Run - Tempo" playlist. As I'm now a full convert to higher-cadence running, there's now nothing in my library that matches my stride rate. I wonder if I might have to start downloading 180bpm dance music
. Anyway, for the meantime, TdJ: The Hives, Hate To Say I Told You So.
Then again,
this suggests there's plenty of potential out there. Time for a new playlist, methinks.
2013: Tri-ing something new
