Night Fever

Jerry's organised another night run through the countryside. That's why I am standing in a pub car park in a small Kent village waiting for fellow runners to show.

Eventually there are 10 of us dressed in spandex and ready to go.

Cudham is renouned for its flatness. The rolling plains of Cudham are famous. On a clear day you can see the curvature of the earth. They used set world speed records there. Or maybe I just completly made that up. Cudham is on the North Downs and contains some of the sharpest, steepest hills I know. When I had my bike re-geared to make it kinder on the hills I went straight to Cudham to test it out.

And it is hilly. And muddy. And cold. But it's also great fun. The Exposure light is fantastic. A couple of times it is too bright and I turn it down to lower settings. The headband is on back order so I have to carry the light in my hand.

We finish the first 5 miles and it has been hard. We stop for some water and head off again. The second 5 miles are equally as hard but are as much fun. Towards the end, as pub closing nears Jerry takes the executive decision to head back on the roads.

The final stretch is up the steepest hill I know at 25%. Some runners decide to walk. I follow the advice on the side and switch to a low gear and run up the hill. I am able to laugh and joke at the top so it can't be too bad.

We make it back to the pub in time for a couple of pints (Lemonade in my case because of the detox) I have frequently cycled past the Blacksmith Arms and thought it looked like a cracking pub from the outside. It didn't disappoint. What looked like good beer and friendly staff.

I love night runs. Next time it will be nice to have a pint after.

10 miles/16km 2"30 (Though these runs, it's not about the time)

Hayes and Back

Fancied a lunch time run but spent my whole lunch hour sorting out the 5 mile handicap race at work tomorrow.

I crow bar the kids into bed and go out for a quick hour before dinner. I'm not in the mood for hills so I plot a flattish route to Hayes. I aim to do 5km out and 5km back (10km in total)

I struggle and first and then settle into an average rhythm. I run past Hayes Station but it is still not 5km so run a little down towards Coney Hall. At 5km I stop and turn. I then pick up the pace. I hammer it all the way back home.

Perhaps as I am getting fitter, I am able to run faster on my training runs (though running in the sexy Piranhas definitely helps) I really hope it feeds through to a race. It always amazes me at how much faster I can race then in a training. A hungover, tired Park Run is always done faster than the most diligent 5km training run. No point pondering, just know and accept it.

Eventually I come flying back to the house.

10km 52:42 (5:17/km)

Old favourite

I meant to go out with the club on Tuesday but was sick. Even though I had one rest day, it had been stretched by my last run being early morning and the club run being the evening. Missing this night messed up my schedule.

I am out celebrating tonight so best get a lunch time run in. I have a phone call to make before starting and so already use 10 minutes. That realistically leaves me half an hour for a run. I decide to do the Thameside Path between Blackfriars and the Tower, back through Leadenhall and London Wall.

I start off fast and keep going. I eventually blow towards the end of the river path but that's fine and I slow down.

For a cold day it was suprisingly busy. I turn my mind to celebrating (which involves breaking the January detox for a couple of glasses of Champagne!)

5km 28:30

Three Commons Circular Walk

I have recently got a full set of leaflets detailing all of the local countryside circular walks. Today I decide to run the Three Commons Circular Walk which starts at the Common in Hayes (Actually at the Water Fountain, of Water Fountain to Water Fountain run)

I run there from my home in Shortlands. I have my super bright light because I have set off at 6:30am to avoid losing any of the family day. I switch it on as I reach the common.

The first problem is that it is hard to read the instructions. The maps are not massively accurate and the instructions are vague. Still at most junctions where you need to turn there is a post with a little plaque pointing the direction. These help massively. However I suspect a couple of posts are missing and I find one post rotting in a bush.

The other problem is that reading the map destroys my night vision. Not helped by the laminated map shining the light back at me.

I don't notice the sun come up, but eventually realise I can turn off the light (A nice bit of kit, light, bright and long lasting) Can't wait for the headband to be dispatched (end of the month) So I don't have to hold it.

I see no one else out and about. It is fantastic to have the whole countryside to myself. Running in the morning dark does not scare me (unlike the evening dark which makes me nervous)

In the end I manage to follow the whole route. The pace of the run is broken up with frequent stops to query the map. However I could go back and do the run probably with no stops.

After a couple of hard days, the stops probably were not a bad thing. I know the way back from Hayes to Shortlands and this is run at a steady pace.

The running pace was faster, but the average was dragged down by all the stops. Still on the long run, time on feet is the important thing.

I get home have a shower and then a bacon roll. Heaven. I feel ahead of the day, for the rest of the day.

I plan to do some of the other circular walks. It was really good fun. For a training run, sometimes the frequent stops break up the run too much. And I'm focussed on good quality training runs for the marathon.

2:02 16.14km 7:34/km (Lots of stops to query the map dragging down the pace!)

Back in 'Nam, Becke'nam

The long run didn't happen today. In the end I got to look after my boy whilst wife and daughter went out visiting. If I had known I may have ran park run this morning. Still after yesterday's efforts on the run home, probably good to have a rest.

As a subsitute park run I decide to do 5km this evening. I decide to run from home down Beckenmham High Street for 2.5km and then turn back on the same route.

I start off feeling very sluggish. Surely I am running in fresh concrete, but no I'm just feeling yesterday. Gradually I get going and then start to hit a pretty decent pace.

In Beckenham all the party goers are out and about. I skip in between them with grace (I have the Pirahna's on)

On the way back, as I pass the smokers outside La Rascasse, I'm sure I hear someone shout my name. I am going to fast to stop and see who it is.

There's a couple of lumps to get over on the way back and suddenly at 3.5km I blow. I slow down. All my miles have given me some toughness, so I slow but I keep going.

Eventually at the top of my road I pick the pace up again.

I'm on my January deteox, and with the kids, just don't get out as much as I used to. It was funny being out and about in town with the pub crowd (Even if I was just running)

I am sure I have run park run using less effort and posted faster times. Those lumps of hills must have an effect.

5km 26:21 (5:16/km)

Quick Run Home

Last week I had planned to run home but work had ruined that plan. This week I was determined to run home. I have tomorrow afternoon to myself and plan a long, long run so I plan to take it easy.

Straight away I am running fast. I'll probably slow down after a couple of miles. But I don't. I keep going, and going, and going. I don't even have time to take a drink from the bottle wedged in the side of my new backpack.

Usually on my own, I don't run fast. I'm too lazy. Today I am able to push and keep going. I think I will be on for a run to home record. It's dark but I plan to run across Beckenham Place Park. I get there and it is locked! I have to run up over Beckenham Hill and round. Yet, I still make it home in record time. Would have been even quicker with a short cut across the park.

It's the first time I have run a significant distance at faster than my target marathon pace. It's also a hilly slog on the way back from work. Also you have to check your pace for things like traffic.

A satisfying, fast, run. Let's see if I still think that on my long run tomorrow....

17.71km 1:38 (5:35/km)

Charing Cross Anti-Clockwise

Still feeling tired from the club run last night, so I decide a little pootle in the aqua shoes is the order of the day.

I plan to run down the South Bank and head back. Except I forget and head down the Victoria Embankment. Given I am running suprisingly fast, I can recover it by zipping across Charing Cross foot bridge and back.

Doing a lot of training at moment, means that a run like this is fairly easy. In the Aquas it is a like a walk in the park.

5.5km 32'40