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 starting to feel knackered, I find myself only a hundred yards or so from my house, but have to turn away and run another mile or so in the other direction.
Talking of Hal Higdon’s great ideas, a less successful one was his suggestion that on particular runs you should wave your arms around and shout an effusive greeting at all runners that you pass, the idea being that if he/she does the same thing at the same time, you’ll know that he/she is doing the same training programme. I’m sure it works along Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, but proved to be less than successful in the sleepy villages of West Berkshire. I’m surprised I didn’t spend the night in the cells for my troubles.
Blimey, all this stuff about running is a bit dull isn’t it? I must start writing about something interesting instead. Leave it with me.
