Good

Last night's run home from Lewisham was fantastic.  Tonight I feel more tired.  To be honest I was going to get the Hayes train to Catford and run home from there, especially after being caught up by my boss.  This would get me home a little earlier for an extra 10 minutes with the kids.

When I get to Cannon Street there is only a train to Lewisham, so I get this, resigned to the slightly longer run.  I don't want to cheat the kids, so accept that I can't totally cruise.

I have an altercation with a cyclist who seems to think that he owns the pavement.  It delays me slightly along with a number of traffic lights.  I couple of death looks and barbed comments ensure that he is suitably offended.  W*nker.

As I reach Downham, suddenly I am aware of the magic appearing.  This is nice, I am fast elegant and flowing.  I keep this up all the way home.  This is really, really good.

Probably two of the most enjoyable runs of my life the last two nights.   And when I get home, it was even quicker than last night.

8km 43 minutes

Lunchtime Canal

The long term plan is run half way to work.  With three kids, average age 2.5, it isn't always happening.  Still I bought my lunch on the way to work giving me 40 minutes of pure run time at lunch.

I head down towards the Wapping Canals via St Katharine's docs .  It feels hard.  Last night's magic has evaporated.  I get to Tobacco dock and turn back.  It's into the wind an I struggle.  As I turn into the tunnel by Tower Bridge the Wind is channelled behind me.  I realise the wind is playing games.

Finally down London Wall I start to pick up some speed.  A fat banker in a pin stripe suit wobbles all over the pavement.  I flow past him, and admonish him for his girth.

Not magic like last night, but still nice.

7k 37:02

Quickly home

Haven't managed to do the run back from Lewisham due to work. Today things have calmed down, so today I head for Lewisham.

I am not expecting anything spectacular but it is nice to be back in flat shoes.

Strangely I am flying along and I keep going and going. It's now too dark for Beckenham Place Park so I have to go the long way round past the Millwall Training Ground.

Feeling on form and flowing feels fantastic. Don't know where it is coming from but I keep drinking it in.

The time is 45 minutes. The usual rime is the wrong side of 50, and I got caught at lots of traffic lights. Even had to take a slight diversion to avoid a gang.

If only I could bottle this form....

8km 45minutes

Leadenhall Lunchtime

My favourite lunchtime loop, Blackfriars, Thames Path, The Tower, leadenhall, London Wall and back.

I am wearing, shock horror, running shoes for a change. They feel spongey and I worry about injury.

Initially it is hard but it gets easier. A couple of times I stop to twiddle with the IPod and I am surprised how easy it is to get going again.

Through Leadenhall and down London Wall I skip in and out of people; great fun.

5pm 28 mins

Getting better at lunchtime

I run at lunchtime down across Waterloo Bridge and back. I decided to wear the aquas. It feels fantastic. The pace is kept gentle with the plan to run home from Lewisham. 

I can't remember ever running across Waterloo Bridge but I really enjoyed it. 

In the end work intervened and I missed the run home.  Good job I got this run in. 

5km 30 mins

Long Airport Run

The alarm goes off at 5:15am and I am so tempted to roll over and go back to sleep.  I have prepared my kit the night before, and I know the Beachy Head Marathon is coming up.  I have done plenty of running but none of it over an hour.

I head of into the dark.  I summon up the courage to run across the common in the dark, all alone.   After a while I settle into a good pace.  Just before the sun comes up the light starts playing up.  It is switching itself off.  The battery seems to be charged, I wonder if it is overheating (it is strapped to my head and  I am hardly travelling at a speed to produce much cooling)

Down just past the Wilberforce Oak, as the sun gets higher in the sky there is a beautiful sun-rise.  I stop and take a photo, but the IPhone camera does not do it any kind of justice.  The lights of houses in the distance twinkling, the oranges and yellows.  Amazing.

I struggle to find the path I am looking for and have to run a couple of times up and down the road.  In the end I dig out the OS map on my phone and find it.

I run across a wide open field and feel great.  I am running for 3 hours and plan to turn around 1.5 hours into the run.  Knowing it has been a big slog up to Biggin HILL, and I wasted some time trying to find the path, I decide to tack on an extra 5 minutes on to the outward journey.  After 3 minutes, I come to a steep downhill.  Knowing I will have to run backup it, I decide to head back there and then.

After 2 hours I start to struggle.  I have deliberately not brought any food or drink to help my body to learn-to-burn.  I knuckle down, the pace slips but I keep going.

Back home I have a coffee and bacon sarnie made with homemade bread.  That and the sun-rise made it all worthwhile.

2"49:15 24km (Today was all about time on the feet though)

Gravel Park Run

I regularly do park run barefoot but today I decide to try and do it all barefoot including the tarmac and gravelly bits.   I'm pretty beery from the night before so the time is irrelevant today.

Which is good I start of slowly and struggle.  The tarmac grates the feet but is manageable.  The gravelly bit is too painful, possible because my feet are a little chilly.

At the finish people stream past me because I have no sprint on the rough tarmac.  I was previously convinced that running on gravel was possible today, I am not so sure.

5km 24:26