Sunday run returns

The clocks moved forward today which means one hour less sleep. Overnight frost made it a chilly start to our run; the first Sunday that we had managed to hit the road for three weeks. A small amount of snow is still in the hedgerows but nothing significant. I decided to keep on the roads today to make life a little easier as I wanted to increase the distance. I was hoping to do ten miles but thought this was a bit ambitious as we had missed some training. The route was along country roads and a bit lumpy in places. Garmin recorded altitude gain of 340 feet so it was quite tough. It also recorded 900 calories burned and an acceptable average speed for the seven and a half miles covered. There were a few more runners out today, quite a few in shorts which I thought was a bit brave. With this start to the week it may be possible to achieve twenty five miles for the week.

The only wildlife spotted today was one common buzzard hovering over a field looking for Sunday lunch. Walkers dressed in winter clothes, some carrying camera's, were also in evidence.

Successful end to the week.

No long run on Sunday means that we had already revised our target down to twenty miles for the week. If we don’t do the longer run on a Sunday it is very hard to get motivated to do it during the week. Thursday I wanted to complete five and a half to leave just four and a half for Friday. We set off on a pre-planned route which would be a mixture of both on and off-road. We went along the main road before the first off-road down a track for one mile. A bit soggy in places but slightly down hill it was OK. Back onto the road for the next mile then into a field. We ran on through a small copse and into one of my favourite fields. We usually run down one side of it and then run diagonally across the middle rising about a hundred feet to the far corner. It is a good stamina building piece of work. Unfortunately since our last visit the farmer has ploughed it up, this made even running around the perimeter difficult. A little bit leg weary we ran the rest of the way on the road. Still we achieved the five and a half miles.

Today I thought four and a half miles around the houses would be fine. I got a bit bored after three miles and veered off down the side of a field. It looked alright so I thought why not? About a third of a mile long it was stickier than it looked. I could feel great lumps of mud being thrown up off my trainers and hitting the backs of my legs. I was quite pleased to get back onto the road and head for home.

I will be watching the weather forecast with interest and hoping normal service will be resumed on Sunday.

Back with a Vengeance

Patches of snow and ice still litter the grass. It is still freezing but the north easterly wind has subsided; this makes it feel a great deal warmer. Learning from my mistake of yesterday I left off the extra vest. Setting off alongside the main road we were surprised to see three Deer grazing contentedly in the field. They were feasting contentedly on the farmer’s crop of winter barley and took little notice as we ran past. We soon turned into a country road which after two short but sharp hills slopes downwards into a village. Across the main road we continued in a right handed arc, passing some twenty bee hives that have been over wintered sheltered beside a hedge, in a field waiting to be moved to a more suitable position when spring arrives. They should have been in their new quarters by now but bees do not work when it is cold. They stay in the hives swarming together to keep warm. They also need feeding on a sugar solution to keep them alive as winter rations that they had stored are nearly exhausted. On we went to the next village before crossing the main road once again and heading up the track on route home. On the track we met a couple with what looked like a Husky puppy. It was not on a lead and the owners did little to catch hold of it although they could see us running towards them for some distance. It did not respond to their calls and wanted to run alongside of us. I was tempted to keep going and let them retrieve it for themselves but we were heading towards another main road. It was not the dogs fault just thoughtless owners. I caught hold of its collar, pointed it in the right direction and gently propelled it in the right direction. I uploaded the days run onto the Garmin Connect website and was pleasantly surprised to find that despite our distractions it was one of our faster efforts. We may suffer tomorrow as a result but it appears the training is going in the right direction in spite of the weather interruptions.

No excuses, get out and run.

For two days I have looked out of the window and found reasons why I should not go running. Snow, ice and a ferocious north easterly wind being the main ones. Today looked better, most of the snow has melted and ice had been reduced to the odd patch. Fields would still be frozen and passable with care while pavements looked clear. This was good in theory but fields which had enjoyed the late afternoon sun yesterday were very wet. Standing water and glue like mud made running difficult. It was obvious after two miles that the extra vest I had put on was surplice to requirements but not a lot I could do except suffer. Running the final three miles, predominately uphill, was a struggle. The time was slow for a five mile run but that was due to the underfoot conditions. Tomorrow I will choose a different route, if it freezes hard overnight we will try off road again.  If the weather is milder sadly it will be on the road.

Sunday run cancelled.

The overnight snowfall is not very deep. Enough to put a fresh covering on roads and pavements it will be too slippery for running. Wind that is blowing from the east gives quite a low chill factor. Cars with rear wheel drive are moving cautiously while four wheel drive vehicles are demonstrating  their qualities. Fewer people than usual are walking dogs, those that are being well protected from the cold. Snow on the road reduces the noise made by the traffic and leaves an eerie silence. The sporting program is all but wiped out and presenters struggle to fill in time. One such filler was an interview with the racehorse trainer Nicky Henderson on channel 4 which was both honest and informative. Re-runs of old footage is just lazy journalism and exposes less talented presenters. Presenters that are unable to improvise and only read from an auto cue. The World Cup football qualifying matches that are being played this week means that no Premier or Championship matches are being played. This means that Sky has reached down into the lower divisions for matches to screen. Skill levels are lacking but the endeavour is high and results are less predictable.
I have just seen one runner go by. She was moving as if unsure of her footing. This cannot be enjoyable or achieve much from a fitness point of view. The risk of injury looks to outweigh any benefits gained.

Revised target hit.

Friday saw us reach our revised target. We did not approach the task with much enthusiasm but knew it had to be done. Even the pavements had quite a lot of surface water which made things a little bit unpleasant. Snow arrived on Friday night as forecast and has continued on and off throughout Saturday. This could put our Sunday run in serious doubt. If we are unable to run tomorrow that would be two Sundays lost to snow. I suppose we should expect that in late March in England.

Poetry in motion.

I just knew it would happen. Miss the Sunday run and the whole weeks schedule goes out the window. It appeared straight forward enough; four runs of six and a half miles would more than cover the twenty five mile target. Not running on Monday was a mistake; this left us to completing the miles in four consecutive days. Tuesdays five mile run added to the pressure which was compounded when we did the same on Wednesday. Fifteen miles in the remaining two days is just too many (we don’t run Saturdays). Revise the target down to twenty and we have something that is achievable. We set out today feeling more optimistic and enthusiastic. The first mile was a bit slow but there was a hill in it so that was acceptable. After half a mile of downhill we turned left up a track that goes on for a mile. We put our backs into it and climbed at a steady even pace. Most of the excess water had drained away from the track and the wind had dried the mud so it didn’t stick to our shoes quite so much. At the top we crossed over a main road and ran down the track on the other side of it for a mile. This was easier going as the surface is not so broken up. At the far end of the lane we turned left and ran alongside a main road home. This was a run of just over five miles which means another five tomorrow will reach the revised target. Revising a target to something that is more achievable makes better sense than struggling to hit one which is just beyond my capabilities.

This is a poem from the book I wrote. If you have competed in races you will understand the feeling. Please leave a comment and let me know.

The Race Runner

Raindrops fall on a balding pate,

Merged with sweat flow at a rate,

Across his brow and down his vest,

He runs and runs no pause for rest.

Fire in his lungs cannot be quenched,

As from his chest they’re almost wrenched,

In out in out they heave and sigh,

Praying the finishing line is nigh.

Thighs scream out enough enough,

His calves rebel, the going’s tough,

Blisters form on cramped up toes,

The pain it comes but rarely goes.

Over the line he’s tired and weak,

His head is pounding he cannot speak,

A week’s recovery is all he needs,

Then off again at breakneck speed.