August 2015

[Sweder]

A return, then, to monthly diaries. An acceptance that I've finally re-joined the Runnerati.

I kicked things off with an even-paced 5K at Hove ParkRun. Km splits were steady, within a few seconds of one another, apart from km 4, which saw a dip in pace of around 20 seconds. This was about the time I transitioned my breathing, something I need to work on or, more likely, get over through regular running. I knocked about a minute off of last week's effort. I put that down to starting off with the intention of pacing as evenly as I could.

Yesterday's long run, a scheduled first half of the Moyleman, was written off. A friend from Lewes FC sent out a message to say he had blurred/ double vision, so bad that he was unable to walk to the bus-stop to get to A+E (his wife was away). I grabbed my keys and shot over to pick him up. EIGHT HOURS and several hospitals later he was admitted to Haywards Heath for overnight observation and an MRI scan (due today). Adios, running plans.

No matter, I thought. I'll just run on Monday, before breakfast. And so I did. Not the planned 21 kms, rather just over 17, cutting out Death Valley and dropping off the Ridge at the W to head home in time for a dental appointment. The air was thick enough to spread on toast, soaking me through to the skin in no time. I didn't care. The hounds thought I'd lost it, constantly glancing north towards home, then back to me, eyebrows raised, ears twitching. We bounced up Blackcap, scrambled up the steep forest track, across the main road bridge, up the Relentless Bastard and along the SDW spine above Kingston. Thanks to several sheep-trough drink-stops the dogs were fine. I had my Dark Star water bottle and few Jelly Babies to keep me going. The only time I stopped was to open gates, wait for my companions to trot through, and, some 3 klicks from home, to snap a view from the top of Kingston Ridge. It was quite something, the sun struggling to burst through swirling low cloud and rising vapour. Beautiful.

   

A good start to the month.