Today's run in numbers
Miles - 13
Time - 1 hour 45 minutes
Other runners - none
Cyclists - none
Inconsiderate 4x4 drivers - 8
Sore nipples - 2
Useless MapMyRun experience - 1
In more detail
Saturday morning, 5.30am and waking up. Rain lashing against the window. Thoughts of turning over for a further snooze were very tempting. We had our morning cup of tea, chatted and "put the world to rights" and I had to make a move at 6.45am.
As ever, it's always hard to know what to wear - will I be too hot, too cold, too......? Decisions decisions. The Beeb's weather page said 6C which sounded fairly warm so definitely wearing shorts. Decision made - shorts plus a base layer and my Montane jacket which I am still having a love/hate relationship with (right now things aren't good between us). Woolly hat and gloves. I was off!
Light rain as I left the house and ran through a housing estate to the bottom of a hill with a track taking me to the top of an escarpment. I have run up and down this track dozens and dozens of times but this was the hardest as I got to the top - it was so windy! Then once at the top and trying to run into the wind and rain was like running into a fireman's hose pipe. That carried on for half a mile (seemed like it was a million miles) and I branched off, back onto roads for the rest of the run. The rest of the run was constant rain, rain, rain with easy terrain and gently undulating hills.
Vaseline and / or plasters applied before a run seems to be a popular line of defence for male long distance runners.
Still, at least mine are in tact, unlike a bloke I remember seeing in the gym and sporting a couple of very conspicuous piercings. Well, they looked miniature like door knockers which I bet that would have been an eye watering experience to say the least. Just imagine running along like that. Talk about sore. Eeeeck.
In all the time I have been running I have never turned back early. That is partly through good fortune and other times through knowing I often struggle in the first couple of miles. That seems to be paying off and perhaps an important life lesson for me.
Light rain as I left the house and ran through a housing estate to the bottom of a hill with a track taking me to the top of an escarpment. I have run up and down this track dozens and dozens of times but this was the hardest as I got to the top - it was so windy! Then once at the top and trying to run into the wind and rain was like running into a fireman's hose pipe. That carried on for half a mile (seemed like it was a million miles) and I branched off, back onto roads for the rest of the run. The rest of the run was constant rain, rain, rain with easy terrain and gently undulating hills.
The 4x4 drivers
Sorry, I just don't understand why 4x4 drivers need to drive the way they do. They seem to barge around very quickly making hardly any account for me. Yes me in my bright yellow jacket; you must have seen me? Perhaps your blacked out windows figure as your excuse or maybe you just don't care? Today I clocked a Range Rover, a BMW and a few others I didn't recognise. Please take a look at this blog post which shows you are not all mean drivers (although many of you seem to be). Feel free to comment.Nipples!
Forgive me for getting a bit personal but this is something new to me. With the constant rain and my (not very water proof) Montane jacket I was a bit wet. Unbeknown to me that was causing my top to rub against my nips. How did I find out? Simple: back home and when I turned up the shower to v.hot and stepped in. "Flippin 'eck" I thought. To say it took me my surprise is an understatement.Vaseline and / or plasters applied before a run seems to be a popular line of defence for male long distance runners.
Still, at least mine are in tact, unlike a bloke I remember seeing in the gym and sporting a couple of very conspicuous piercings. Well, they looked miniature like door knockers which I bet that would have been an eye watering experience to say the least. Just imagine running along like that. Talk about sore. Eeeeck.
Another great run - and never turn back
I felt great afterwards, no huge "high" as it was a steady pace with no sprints or hint of interval training today; just a constant relaxed pace. I'm well used to this distance; I just need to increase it further over the next month. I should say I had intended a longer run but I needed to be home and take Becky for her tap dancing lesson.
That's the thing about running; no two runs are exactly the same and I do believe each one is doing me some good. During the week I had two 5 mile runs after work. I did these on my own as my running colleague was a little unwell. Same course each time (cycle tracks and a huge park) which I did in 40 minutes exactly each time. The second occasion was a day of some snow showers and a short-lived blizzard which I experienced. Wow that was something - suddenly I could hardly see where I was going, everything was white!
In all the time I have been running I have never turned back early. That is partly through good fortune and other times through knowing I often struggle in the first couple of miles. That seems to be paying off and perhaps an important life lesson for me.
And you?
Are you a big 4x4 driver? Surely there must be some more decent 4x4 drivers out there?
Are you training for the MK Marathon? How's it going?
Do you use MapMyRun? Hope you make it work better than I can!
Do you suffer from sore nipples?
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