A great run this evening. A classic, perfect example of my often-mentioned adage that the pleasure of a run tends to be in inverse proportion to the level of expectation. I really did not want to run this evening. It was raining heavily, and already beginning to get dark. Grudgingly, I decided to run 3 miles, and see how I felt then. But as I got to the 3 mile mark, I realised that I was enjoying myself, and carried on. It was one of those runs when I felt myself really bounding along at times. It was also by far the most hazardous run I’ve done certainly since I’ve lived here, and perhaps ever. By the time I got … …
Blog Posts
Deciding against a run because of injury is one thing, but sleepiness? Afraid so. My eyelids felt like they were tied to dustbin lids this afternoon. A long meeting didn’t help. Result? I was just too darned tired to do my 7 miles tonight. This is a constant problem with the Chicago training. Throughout the London campaign I worked from home, and could get away with an 8.30am alarm. But these days I’ve already been up 2 hours by then, so I suppose I should be tucked up by 10.30pm each night. But I’m rarely in that carefree state before midnight, and it’s often later. I plan on shifting my 7 miler (the long midweek run) to tomorrow instead. The … …
Rushed home from work to get changed and out the door so that I could get back in time to see Paula Radcliffe in the European Championships 10K. Unfortunately I got waylaid by my neighbour on the way out, who needed to know why we had a half ton of horse manure sitting in our front garden. It’s a reasonable question. The run wasn’t quite as good as Paula’s, but pretty good by my standards. 4 miles around the lanes on a warm Summer’s evening. Is there anything better? Well, yes, there is. Quite a lot of things, if the truth be told. I spent much of the run fantasising about an extended Italian banquet on some sunny terrace somewhere … …
A difficult 13 miles today. I’m disappointed, but have to accept that these things happen from time to time. Yesterday evening I drove around the local lanes beyond the canal, working out a new long run route. I’m a bit fed up with the canal. I need a break from the flies. This morning I was up early and drove round again.Finally settled on a 13 mile route. Dropped off a drink at the 10 mile mark. Finally set off at around midday, using a water belt for the first time. I thought it was going to feel very awkward after a while but it wasn’t too bad. In fact, it seemed to hold my guts together as I trundled … …
Had a great idea this evening. Or rather, Hal Higdon had a great idea and passed it on to me (and everyone else who does his training programme). Do the usual route but in reverse. No, not running backwards. Just run it in the opposite direction from usual. So I did. And it was a quite different experience. Quite fast for me too at 9:51 a mile. Now that I’ve done it this way round, I realise that it’s a more logical direction. For one thing, the mile or so along the A4 now has me running towards oncoming traffic. Safer than having it coming up behind. Also, I no longer have that heartbreaking moment where, towards the end and … …
Six miles this evening. Another tough run, though the earlier thunderstorm has cleared the air wonderfully. It was my usual medium-length, midweek course of around 6 miles: a mile to the canal, 2.5 miles along it and another 2.5 back along the A4 and a couple of smaller roads. It’s not a smooth route, so I shouldn’t be too disappointed that my time was slow. The canal is usually alive with flies, and much of the path is through bumpy, adjacent fields. The A4 is loud and fast, with most of the pavement obstructed by overhanging branches from the adjacent trees and bushes. It’s only the first and last miles that are reasonably clear. At least the flies weren’t too … …
I had to work for it tonight, as I knew I would. It was only 4 miles or so, but I hadn’t run for 4 days, and had missed my long run at the weekend. There wasn’t a lot of air around, and what there was was dense and hot and heavy. Like me. I felt bloated and unfit and awkward, and the sweat! It came off me in bucketloads. But the pace was reasonable at 9:59 a mile. I’m still sweating now, even after a shower and change of clothes and a meal. Let’s hope our house insurance covers us for flooding, as I’ve a feeling that in the morning we’re going to be wading through 2 or 3 … …
A disastrous few days. I had a great, short, run on Thursday, then nothing for 3 days. We had visitors yesterday so I decided to put off my 12 miler till today. But it’s been so hot and muggy today that the thought of running is unbearable. Watching Paula Radcliffe’s magnificent victory in the 5000 metres was today’s training. It’s the first time I’ve missed a long run in the training for Chicago or London. To make matters worse I’ve been nibbling biscuits and other unmentionables all weekend. Right, tomorrow we start again…… …
It was late – after 9pm – when I finally got out to do my 6 miles this evening. As is often the case with runs that I’m particularly looking forward to, it was a disappointment. No problem with my health or performance, but the flies! My God, the flies! Running along the canal this evening was a nightmare. I could feel the dense clouds of the blighters every few yards. I must have eaten several billion of them, which partly explains why I felt less hungry than normal when I got home. This inconvenience lasted for nearly 3 miles, which is the point where I turned off the canal and came back along the busy A4. This isn’t usually … …
Awake at 5am and decided on an unsceduled 3.67 miles, which I did at just under 10 minutes a mile. A great run, on a perfect morning for getting out. Bugger South West Trains!… …