It gets the best of us

Club night. Group 4 and James. A little way into the run, James is not flowing and he is noisier than usual. It turns out that he had done the 14 mile run on Sunday and it was catching up with him.

I am wearing my Pirahnas and feel nimble. I thought about only wearing them for races but I love running in them too much.

I run at the front for the first third. Emma decides she wants to stretch her leg and starts to push off the front. I drop off towards the back for some variation. Towards the end, I decide to try and catch up. She's too fast and edges away further. However, I edge away from the rest of the group. I finish with a strong sprint.

An enjoyable run, well within my comfort zone.

10.07km 55:23 (5:30/km)

Alone in the dark....

After yesterday's great effort there was no way on earth I would be running today. I would be taking it easy with my feet up. Unless my brand new Exposure Joystick 300 Lumen light showed up in the post, unlikely on a Sunday surely? Doh!

I can't resist taking it for a test drive. I decide to do a late night run on the Water Fountain to Water Fountain route on Hayes Common. Eventually the light will be mounted on a headband (currently on back order) So tonight I hold it in my hands.

It is brilliant(in all senses). You can run easily on the lowest setting (24 hours). The middle setting lasts for 8 hours. On the super-bright it lasts for 3 hours.

I have spent countless nights Mountain Biking on the common. But when I am alone, it is still scary. In the end I turn the light brightness down and point the light down. That way I am in my own little light bubble. I am easily able to follow the route that I have run many times in the day.

It's very frosty and crispy. There will be a hard frost tomorrow. I don't really feel the cold. Because I am nervous I feel as if I am running faster than I usually would. I complete the slog up to the top fountain and turn round.

The return run is always quicker because it is downhill (and is on the way back, which always seems quicker) I get back to the car and look at the Garmin. I have run about 4.5km in 25:52 (5:58/km) It felt faster.

Once the light is head mounted it will make running in the dark really enjoyable. Not sure if I will ever get used to running alone in the dark....

4.33km 25:52 (5:58/km)

Long, Long Airport Run

Thursday was a rest day but Friday I had planned a run home from work. I spent the day looking forward to it. In the end something went wrong at work and I had to sort it. I was not happy.

Today, I have the afternoon to myself. I thought about doing Park Run, but with the rain Norman Park is going to be boggy. My wife gives me a good suggestion. Doing my long run this afternoon. Brilliant! I decide to head offroad towards Biggin Hill. I set out to do 3 hours mindfull of the Moonlight Challenge (32miles) coming up in February.

The first section is on road until I reach Baston. Then up through the common to Keston Ponds, down past the Wilberforce Oak. On the Road to Downe I take a footpath I remember from mountain biking. I run across a huge windswept field. I have to put my hat and glove back on.

I then run round the perimeter of Biggin Hill airport. In the woods there are deserted buildings, I suspect left over from World War 2 and the Battle of Britain. I eventually reach Jail lain. I have ten minutes before the turn around point so I keep following a footpath towards Biggin Hill. It gets very, very wet and muddy. Luckily I have my Seal Skinz socks, so while my shoes are saturated my feet are dry and toasty.

I reach the turn around point and head back. I start to run short of sports drink I decide to take one sip a kilometer. This keeps me motivated by looking forward to the passing kilometers. Eventually I reach the end of the offroad section and it's a short 5km road run back home. I stop off in Old Hayes to get another drink.

I have a slightly sore foot but other than not to bad. I reach Westmoreland Road. The last couple of times I have run this section I have absolutely flown down this (Though on far shorter runs) Surprisingly, I fly again. I am easily able to hold my intended Marathon Pace and even run faster.

I get home, and given that I have spent over three hours on my feet, don't feel too bad. The distance doesn't look to far, but the majority was over muddy, hilly offroad tracks. The first time I ran home from work around(19km) I had to go straight to bed. Today I am am able to function as usual.

A fantastic run which really gives me confidence for the Moonlight challenge. I really enjoyed it.

3:07'00 26.51km

In to the wind the whole way

Lots on at home, so I decide to squeeze a run in at lunch time. It's still very cold. I decide to run up to the canals where the Locketts Rockets do their interval training. I decide to go as far as possible in 20 minutes and then back.

After Monday's long run and Tuesday's club run I am feeling tired so I take it at an easy-ish pace. All the way I feel I am running into the wind. As I run down the canal, a very fast looking runner zooms past. It reminds me that there's always going to be faster, much faster people.

I reach 20 minutes, stop for 30 seconds and turn to head back. It is into the wind again.

I reach the office and look at the watch 39'03. Pretty even pace for 20 minutes out and 20 minutes back.

39'03 ~7km

Cold January Nights

It's cold, but there's running to be done with the club. Back to a normal group 4 run. It's meant to be 9 minute miles but it always creeps below this.

Down to the A21, down Holmesdale Road past the tip, past Bromley High and back to Petts Wood. Through out the run I am comfortable with the pace. I take the time to have a relaxing chat with the rest of the gang. There are some faster runners here too, getting back up to speed after the Christmas break.

By the end the cold is long gone. In the car home I have the window wide open to cool down.

Still many cold winter nights to come before the first signs of Spring.

10.35km 56:41 (5:28/km)

Early Bank Holiday Run

The alarm goes of at 6:30am. My kit is already packed from the night before. Time for the weekend's long run(done first thing bank holiday Monday). I couldn't face doing it last night.

I get up and it is still pitch black dark. I decide a road route to Petts Wood. After a couple of minutes I realise that it may be light soon. I re-route towards Hayes and the Common. It is still very dark as I run up through the common and on to the Nash Circular Walk. At some point I realise that it has become light. The Countryside in the early morning is absolutely beautiful. There is no-one else around, anywhere.

I miss out the last killer-hill of the Nash Circular walk and head home via Coney Hall, Hayes and Langley Park.

The pace is slow, as I would expect for an offroad, slow run slog. The last section from Westmoreland Road down through Shortlands Road is run at 5'40 pace. I had run this very fast the other day. I think it must be downhill.

At the end my left hand feels like it has frost bite. I love my running gloves but I think they are only good for temperatures more than 2 Celsius. It must have been less today.

Marathon Training? So far so good, and to be honest loving it. There's still plenty of time for dread and despair to kick in.

1:51 16.75km

New Year Park Run

It's New Years Day and my alarm goes off at 8:00am.
"Why was that set you idiot? Bank holiday, lie in (even the kids haven't stirred yet)"
Then I remember: New Year's Park Run. I drag myself out of a bed. I then realise I am in no fit state to drive a car after New Year's Eve. Better play it safe by riding a fixed-wheel bicycle.

As today is a special occasion they decide to run the route backwards. I suddenly realise it is going to be a drag running this. I then have a cunning idea. Let's do it barefoot. It's a bit chilly but it will be easier to do.

I slip of my shoes and run the first 500m with them in my hands. I lob at the pavilion to collect at the finish. Initially my feet are a little cold. But nothing that is doing me any harm so I battle through it. Running through mud is fun and squelchy. I dodge some dog poo.

In the end I really enjoy the run. As I near the finish (Downhill on the reverse course) someone tries to pass me. I think they must be probably 9 or 10. I pick up the pace and stay in front of them. 200m from the finish they start to sprint. I for some reason am in the mood to race and also start sprinting. I feel guilty and ease off, then lose my guilt and pick up again. It's a strange feeling sprinting barefoot. In the end I decide to stop messing around and go in for the kill, finishing ahead of him.

I then go to the shower and am able to wash the mud of my feet. The water is probably freezing cold but feels warm on my feet.

Later in the day, I have really sore feet. It appears to be lacerations in the hardskin on my big toes. I worry I will be out of action for a while, a disaster for the marathon training. I put some coca-butter on them and next day they are back to normal.

I really enjoyed running this. Considering how much I had *ahem* "consumed" the night before it was a pretty good time.

I really do love running barefoot. The aquas are good, but not as good as barefoot. The problem with Barefoot is the thought of glass, thorns and stuff. Maybe I should give the Vibram Five-Fingers another go. The worry is, that it's the bare skin on the environment that makes it so much fun.

5km 23'58