Just a quickie to report on a successful 17.5 miler today. Coming just a couple of days after that slightly flawed experience at Maidenhead, this was a welcome tonic.
Deciding where to go on these long runs is a problem. The simplest solution is up the canal for (long_run_mileage/2), then back again. The setting is always tranquil and arresting, but an out-and-back route is never ideal, and the longer the run the less ideal it becomes. Today I threw in a variation to avoid repetition, though it meant a long slog up the turbulent, clangorous A4. That bit wasn’t fun, but after such an awful starter, the main course – back along the canal – tasted better than ever.
A warm and sunny afternoon for running, so I didn’t put much pressure on the accelerator. It was a steady chug. A 3+ hour chug, and I feel better for having done it.
