Holiday night run

I have been on holiday in Devon all week. There are some beautiful Coastal paths just waiting to be explored. But with three kids now, with one only one month old it's been a struggle.

The other night I bought a cheap led torch similar to the one that had served me so well on Jerry's night run.

Tonight, on the last night of the holiday, I took the chance.

I decide to run in the Vibram Five Fingers. It is pitch black and drizzling.

I head down the Coastal path. I can hear the sea, but other than a few distant lights in Tor Bay I cannot see more than a couple of feet in front of me.

But I feel alive. Not slipping over, avoiding rocks and sensing the environment is my focus. I am or aware of any effort with the running.

I come across another walker with a torch., he is nervous ut I greet him and he is calmed.

At one point Iose my footing and go over, but no damage done and not too muddy.

Eventually I reach the end of the coastal path and it splits into a Coastal reserve. I don't want to get lost so I turn back. The rain starts to pick up,

I come across someone walking their dog, and they tell me they are holding their big dog back. Thanks!

I run back through the holiday camp to my chalet, powering up the hill past some people coming back from the cabaret.

When I get back I am exhilarated. I love running in the vibrams though the elastic hurts the top of my feet. Tonight was more about movement than running.

5km 30"00

Post baby hare and hounds

I'm busy at work today, but I am determined to do the work running club's 5 mile handicap race.

I notice another runner is due to start 1 second behind me. He stalks me down the embankment until suddenly I have to tie my shoe lace. I overtake him again by barging through the crowds at Westminster bridge. He takes me again on the way To Vauxhall bridge. I make up ground using my secret stairs technique. I edge into the lead but disaster again on Lambeth bridge as my shoe lace comes undone again. I work and catch him again. I sense he his weakening and eventually dispatch him.

I zone in on the next runner. I shout "hey" at the tourists and they magically part. I joke to the other runner I am leaking all my secret techniques! He holds me for a while and then drops away.

Down past ITV I really can feel the heat. I spot the sole lady runner, reel her in and dispatch her. I think I am leading. I dig deep across Blackfriars bridge. I am terrified a runner(possibly my nemesis) is going to pass me.

I grimace and gurn my way to the finish. A quick glance behind me and I can't see anyone. I open up into a sprint looking for a few seconds to be shaved off my time As I cross the line I realise that I am first back and in record time.

Around a minute later the other runner comes back and we shake hands.

A really good run, 1:20 faster than my target time I wonder what it would have been on a cooler day and without two shoe lace stops!

It would seem cutting the booze and food is having a positive effect.

5.2 miles 37:48

The run home from work(again)

This time I am better prepared for the run home. My kit is nicely packed and I leave at 5:45pm on the dot. I absolutely fly to Cannon Street, zipping in and out of people. I find the 5:56 to Hayes (via Lewisham). I am all ready to get off the train and run. I plan to take a flatter, longer route around Ravensbourne station and miss out the hill and Railway fields.

Then I realise it is raining. I hadn't really factored in rain. I knew that if I am to run/train everyday then there will be rain. Just didn't expect it so soon. Fortunately I am prepared and I pack up my wallet and phone in the waterproof rucksack liner. This means no music or podcast to listen to on the way back.

I disembark the train and zip off. As I go through Lewisham it all feels a bit edgy. There are gangs of youths hanging around and lots of Old Bill. Still when I am running you tend to flow through them. Glad my phone is out of sight (rather than in a side pocket playing me tunes or podcasts) I wonder if there will be a resurgence of the rioting.

The rain is not too bad. The shoes get a little squelchy, but I can live with it.

The other side of Catford I start to really struggle. I can't quit as I have to be back for the kids. At Downham I go properly boom. I find a Newsagent and stop for an emergency Picnic (The chocolate bar, not an actual picnic with breadsticks, houmous and warm white wine duhhh!) and some Lucozade.

This gets me going again. But it has sapped some time so I push on. On the otherside of Beckenham Place park I had planned to run down to Shortlands station and round, but I decide against it, and take on the short sharp hill and Ravensbourne, thinking it will get me home quicker.

I battle on and make it back. In the end, door to door was 1hr15 which wasn't bad. I am ravenous when I get in. Fortunately some guests have left some Krispy Kreme donuts. I am also wet through rain but also sweat.

I wonder if I will be up to running tomorrow.

8km 50 minutes

The run to work (again!)

Much the same as yesterday. I feel more tired, but it is still pretty easy going. I have my kit better planned so the showery bit at work goes better.

I reach my desk ready to take on the world, which indeed I do.

7km 40 minutes

The run home from work

Having run half way to work, the next phase was to run half way back.

I run to Cannon Street (just over 5 mins) But when I get there the trains are a little chaotic. Eventually I jump on a service going to Hayes. I get of at Lewisham 15 minutes later.

Despite this morning's run I feel quite fresh. The only hard bit is running up the steep hill at railways fields in Beckenham Place Park.

The journey is slightly longer, with the run taking 45 minutes. Not sure how practical it will be running across Beckenham Place park in the dark

8km 45 minutes

The run to work

I haven't told Mrs Squirrel yet but I am doing the beachy head marathon. Now being the proud father of three children finding the time to train is hard.

I like running to work, but this takes about 1 hour 40 minutes. The times at the start of the day and the end of the day are my quality time with the kids.

The other thing is that my work is moving to Canary Wharf. The journey to Canary Wharf from South London is horrible. Is there any way I can use my running skills....hmmm.

Talking with Larry at work, he gets the Underground half way to work and then runs the rest. I have realised that some thing similar may be possible for me.

Being a geek helps. So studying Google maps and train time tables I have realised I may have an opportunity.

I run to the station (5 mins) I then get a train to Nunhead (15 minutes and run from there(40 minutes). A fairly straight forward uneventful run, for a total journey time of 1 hour. I shower at work and am at my desk 1:10 later. The normal journey is about 55 minutes.

This worked pretty well. When we move to Canary Wharf the option may be to run to Lewisham and get the DLR to the Wharf.

7km 40 minutes

Another Barefoot park run, faster than I realised

Saturday, park run. Suddenly in the car I have the urge to ditch the shoes. So I run barefoot.

I always run more relaxed without shoes. I exert but do not push. I have a brief chat with Karen and Johnny on the way round. Johnny was meant to be jogging, but I see him get bored and zoom off.

At the finish I hold my place, needing just a gentle sprint to deter the runner behind.

At the finish I feel my time is so-so. Certainly much, much better than last week. When I get home I realise it is my 3rd fastest time ever. Since running my 21:50 in January, I seem to think that it is my time, and it is what I should be running. The truth is it was probably a black swan, an outlier.

Afterwards there is a lot of interest from fellow runners as to why I am running barefoot. My answer? I like the way it feels.

5km 22:39

Half the intervals

I've been listening to a marathon pod-cast recently. Not sure if it has inspired me, but I feel the urge to go and run intervals with the city running group Locketts Rockets.

I turn up and no one is there and I wonder if it is still happening. Eventually 3 others appear. Even the run to the canals is fast and I struggle to hold on.

When we get to the canals, it is 1 minute one way, rest for a minute and back for a minute. I am way slower than the other guys, but it is a good hard workout.

The problem is the time. I have an hour for lunch in reality. I leave half way through the 6 of 12 reps. Partly because I am knackered and partly because I need to get back. In the end I am away from my desk for an hour and a half; too long. The fastest guy there admitted that he is away from his desk for an hour and half.

To get faster I need to do some intervals. I think I will find a course nearby. Work out how fast I can run in a minute. Note that distance, and then run 10 of them. By having the known distance it will stop me slacking. The truth is though, I slack least when running with others.

A really good session today in a number of ways.

7k? Intervals 1:00:00 of running

Lunchtime Loop

The baby has made me weary but I decide to brave a lunchtime run. Trundling up and down the stairs with the baby trying to get them to settle has taken its toll on my legs. Not getting enough sleep makes me less than zippy.

I head down London Wall and down past the tower. Plenty of times I am caught by the traffic lights and have to stop. I run down the Thameside Path to Blackfriars bridge. And somewhere along there I lose my weariness and start to enjoy.

I loop back through Paternoster square. After the run I feel great and awake once more.

5km 31:00

Poor Park Run 100

It's the 100th Park run today. I am still in bed at 8:40am. I decide to risk the wrath of Mrs Squirrel by getting up and doing it. It is the 100th after all.

I had been awake for a couple of hours during the night walking around with the baby.

Today there are pacers for every minute. I am feeling bullish and decide to follow the 22 minute pacer. I have been moderating my eating recently and have must have lost some weight. Should be interesting to see how this improves my running as it surely will.

At the start I am annoyed as surely the 22 minute pacer is going to fast. I hold him for a km and then start to slip. By the time Jenny from our club (the 23 minute pacer) came by I knew the game was up.

I then begin to really struggle. I see people I am usually faster than come streaming past. I struggle towards the end, and decide not even to put in a sprint finish.

But I can't resist and dispatch the runner behind me as he tries to sprint. I rapidly catch up with the runner in front and start to hunt him down. I think I would have had him on the line, but the runners funnel is too narrow and I have to relent.

And the time is poor, 23:45.

So I ponder as to what caused this terrible, sole destroying performance:

*Last night's cycle back from work over Crystal Palace Hill. I definitely had sore thighs
* Only just waking up, without having a coffee
* Not having enough food for energy
* My son has had a sore throat, and later in the day, I noticed a sore throat myself, so possibly some kind of virus
* Lack of sleep taking a bigger physical toll than I expected
* Not running with others, pushing me on enough (i.e. no club night and no park runs)

I'll monitor the next couple of runs to see if this continues. I try to keep reminding myself that the baby is going to lead to some loss of fitness. After my first child, I probably didn't do anything for 6 months!

After the run I couldn't even hang around after long for a chat, as I was needed for baby duties back home.

5km 23:45!

Weary lunchtime run

With the baby and cycling to and from work I was a little tired today. I still managed a warm lunchtime run down to Waterloo Bridge and back. No lightning pace or heroics.

4km 26:00