Fixed wheel running

In another existence I ride a fixed wheel bicycle around London. This has no gears and no free wheel. If The bike is moving, you are peddaling. At first this is really tiring. It is because you resist. After a few weeks you learn to yield and go with it. Your legs become the freewheel and you flow without thinking about it.

As I cross Paternoster Square at the end of my run, I realise I am freewheeling. Moving with grace and in harmony but without effort, and yet relentless. This is where you would need to be for the marathon I note.

The rest of the run was The Charing Cross footbridge route I did the other day but backwards. Across Blackfriars Bridge, down The South side of the Embankment, Charing Cross Footbridge, North Side of The Embankment, Paternoster Square.

31 minutes probably around 5.5 km

Old Hare and Hounds, backwards

An Email from Mr. Savage proposing a lunch time run is too good an offer to miss. He is a good runner. Not in a smug or annoying way, but far better than me. This will be an easy run for him but more of a workout for me.

We do the Old Hare and Hounds route but backwards. This takes in Victoria Embankment, St. James' Park, Green Park and The Mall in a giant loop.

It is run faster than I would run on my own, yet throughout I am able to hold a conversation. It seems to be a universal fact that to run fast, others are required. I know the elite Marathoners have pacemakers. Alas stolen lunch time runs are not always condusive to companionship. Maybe I need to get the Garmin nagging me. Alas, I am not embarrassed for the Garmin to see me struggling. The power of peer pressure. Tuesday night club runs are always run at the pace of whoever feels strongest; the rest are compelled to hold on, pushing outside their comfort zone.

As we near the office I am sweating profusely and feeling thirsty. It feels as if it has got hotter as we run but this is unlikely.

Good route, good weather and good company. Running is not always just about suffering.

6.5 miles 57", lots of traffic light stops.6

Crowds and corporates

It is summer in London and the weather is turning nice. Every flat surface is littered with office workers and tourists.

Today I run out down the North side of the Embankment, across Charing Cross Footbridge, down the South Bank and back across Blackfriars bridge.

All run at a steady pace. It's warm and the sweat drips. As we get into high summer it is only going to get worse.

The JP Morgan corporate challenge registration opened today. It's one of my big races as all my work colleagues run it. It will be a warm, sunny day in July. It is an unusual 5.6km (3.5 miles)

The corprate suits and tourist gawp as I run by. Today we are all relaxed in the sun I know some more serious training beckons.

38" probably around 4.5 miles.

Bring on the rain

Today's fayre is a late long run with the black dog. It looks like rain out and to be honest I hope it really rains hard. I'm in that kind of mood.

As far down the Wapping canals I can get in 20 minutes and then back is the plan. Not sure why but I am running well. Maybe the marathon inspired me? I certainly see artifacts from yesterday littered around the Tower Bridge area.

Even after a few minutes the black dog is lagging. Soon he is dropped and I fly along. In the end I make it to the low bridge by Tobacco Dock before turning. The return journey is done in 18.5 minutes, helped by favourable traffic lights. The rain holds off.

I go for a shower in the gym and stroll back to the office, relaxed and happy. Alas, the black dog is there, waiting patiently for me to return.

40" probably around 5 miles.

Old Hare and Hounds

Despite yesterday's disapointment I feel the need for a lunch time run. I'm thinking river, I'm thinking green and then a cunning plan emerges. The old Hare and Hounds course. It is about half a mile to the start, five miles round and half mile back. So a tidy six in total.

In the lift out of the building a middle aged suit is trying to impress the female office junior:
He asks
"Doing the marathon?
She replies:
"Could never do that. My friend did it in an amazing time, 4 1/2 hours I am doing the cancer 5k. But you can walk that if you want"
He tries to impress her:
"when I was 18, me and some friends ran 6 miles but then collapsed"

As I run to the start I toy with the idea of timing the run. In the end I can't resist. Race on! and I am back dodging the traffic like in times past. I run through Green Park weaving through the picnicers With the grass growing, the blossom blooming and the sun shining it is truely beautiful.

All the way round I manage to get across the roads without stopping. In the final straight I manage a sprint. I jab the watch. 39"18. This is 2 seconds slower than my HH on the new course. I did race, but not "race". I need other people pushing me to really run. It does indicate that the new HH course is slower. Interesting.

Yesterday I was desolate. But looking at the evidence I feel heartened. It was a PB on this course by a good 30 seconds and it wasn't a real race. My fitness is still there.

My best time on this course yet still relaxing and enjoyable. Quality time, with the beautiful Nike Frees. Yesterday's blues seem a long way away.

5 miles, 39"18 (6 miles in total)

Locketts, ohh dropped me

I've had some time off, as last week I had just overdone it in everything. Today I planned a quick run with my black mood down towards Wapping.

As I leave the office I note that it is 12:25pm perfect timing for Locketts Rockets. What better than to take some anger out on some intervals.

The pace to the canal is fast but I hold on. The plan is two groups A and B, both running a tempo run for 10 minutes and then intervals back. The pace is meant to be half marathon. I am soon struggling and rapidly slide off the back. With only a week off, I feel sluggish and slow.

I drop to a jog and I lose sight of the rest of the group. After a few more minutes I turn to head back. On the run back I pickup the pace from a jog and one point I burst into a sprint to try and lift my mood.

My plan was to use Thursday lunchtimes with the Rocketts as my interval session. This far off the pace it is not a goer.

It wasn't great today, but nothing is a failure if you learn from it. Today was an education.

No time, distance or pace. Probably around 45 minutes.

Hare and hounds

Not much to say about the monthly work 5 mile time trial. It was windy, I did it in the Nike frees, lots of new people went the wrong way. I finished 8 seconds outside my target, a minute outside my PB.

Running back to the office I had a good chat with a woman doing the Marathon next week. I think next year is the year for me. Will do it sub 4 hour as well.

5 miles @ 38"15

Random Running

I still had decided on the route for today's run even as I left the building. One of my colleagues was outside the building presumably having a "fag"
"Coming for a run?" I ask
"I've hear running on concrete is bad for your knees" he replies
I think about explaining to him about the barefoot revolution but there's running to be done.

A lot on my plate at the moment at I just buzzed around the city. Over Southwark Bridge, back over Blackfriars bridge, a litte way down the Embankment and back via Paternoster Square. Not until the last km did I start to really flow and then it was all over.

25 mins @ slow - moderate pace

Dawdling on Tower Bridge

I love London but the tourists dawdle. I have been a tourist in other cities but us Londoners don't ever really dawdle, even on holiday.

Despite the sore foot I need a lunch time run Mapmyrun on the Iphone is getting too much of a faff so I just track the time.

Across Southwark Bridge, down the South Bank, across Tower Bridge, up Bishopsgate and back to Guildhall.

I love running across Tower Bridge. I remember seeing a triathlon on TV where they ran across the Sydney Harbour bridge. It looked so cool. I have walked across the Sydney bridge as a tourist and one day I will run across it. I may one day run across Tower Bridge on my way to the sub 4 hour marathon.

Today the run across Tower Bridge is ruined by the dawdling tourist, in particular an Australian.

34 minutes moderate pace

Charing Cross Bridge and back

I have always considered the run to Charing Cross Bridge and back from Guildhall an easy option but apparently it is 5km according to mapmyrun.

In the Nike frees I set of at a ludicrous pace darting in and out of the crowds (de ja vu anyone?).

Once again I blow at around 3km but after slowing down for a km, I pick up the pace again for the last km, savouring the pain.

More worrying is the pain in my left foot where the middle toes meet the foot. After running there seems to be pain and swelling. Best keep an eye on that. Tomorrow a return to spongey shoes to see what effect that has.

5km in 28 mins (a couple of minutes break at half way and traffic light/crowd stops)

Lunch time date with a pair of lovelies

Just back from holiday and back to work. It's not all bad as I have a lunch time date with a pair of lovelies. The wife and kids do not need to panic, it is The Nike Frees.

Straight away the romance is back on. I run off at a ludicrous pace, flowing, then zipping, then darting through the crowds. I am running the familiar river route from Blackfriars to The Tower and back via Leadenhall.

An idiot comes cycling down the Thames path almost crashes in to me. I throw a well aimed punch in his direction. Not to hit him, but to scare him. It works, he is scared.

After 3km I am exhausted from the pace. I return to a jog and enjoy the burn from the fast section (non-runners would not understand that)

It is beautiful and sunny and life is good. The Nikes feel fantastic Oh to be in Love in the Spring!

4.75km 26"20 (some serious traffic light stoppages)

Around and about Les Mathes

My good friend and host, Bec tells me lunch will be ready in half an hour. I think this gives me time for a quick 5k, as she works on French time (this is not a bad thing, just different as I work on London City Time)

When I am really on form I don't take the iPod. Running is its own reward. Today I'm killing time and relaxed, so it's an old Danny Baker and Danny Kelly podcast.

Runs always go better with a story behind them, but I can't think of one for today. I set out planning to run half the way to the coast on the route run earlier in the week(Not much of a story). A couple of km in I take an interesting looking turn where a number of things are signposted in French. It ends up at a dull camp site and nothing of interest. I run back to the main road.

As I reach the halfway turning point, not really having left Les Mathes, I run a little way into the pine forest. Though I know lunch will not be ready when I get back, an interesting diversion is not appropriate today and I turn back before discovering anything.

On the return I play a little with my form and push it to ensure the 5km is dispatched in under 30 minutes (to keep it respectible). Today's run did not really go anywhere. Some of my recent results and performances have been like Christmas gifts. It's currently Easter. When everyday is Christmas, you soon get tired of Christmas. Empty is defined in terms of full, Full is defined in terms of Empty. Today is empty.

5k @ 6"00/km

Sand blasting

I'm still on the West coast of France. Today I drive to the seaside and run along the seafront. It is windy, in fact blowing a gale off the swelling Atlantic.

As I run the promenade road the sand blasts my legs. I am glad of my cap and sunnies. I tilt my head to keep the cap from blowing away.

I head south but the road eventually turns back inland and the beach is too uneven to run on. I turn back the way I came and back past the start point. I eventually run to the end of one jaw of the harbour. The wind is sapping my strength. I decide 5k will do for today and it's back to the car to seek shelter.

I am in my old faithful trainers. We have been through so many adventures together, but in my mind I am fantasizing about the Nike frees.

I'm relaxed and the wind is distracting, so it's an easy pace. Today only the sand blasts.

5k / 29 minutes