Gently back from Grove Park

As I am still getting back in to it, I decide a simple 4.5km back from Grove Park will suffice for tonight.

I do feel a little bit jaded but the worst it does is impact my speed, it's not uncomfortable.

Before I did this route, I never realised how much I would enjoy it.  Now it is one of my favourite routes.

It's a pleasant cruise home and I can feel myself being dragged back to fitness

4.5k 29"23

Leadenhall Loop after Christmas

Soon I will be leaving the City of London and off to the Land of the Docks.  So I need to make the most of those exquisite City of London runs.  Today I decide to do the Leadenhall Loop postponed from yesterday.

I have a new short cut through the foot passages at Blackfriars.  It means not having to wait for traffic lights above ground.  When I get to the bottom of the stairs the underpass is pitch black.  There is a man standing looking confused
"Looks a bit dark" I say
He nods
I continue down the stairs, and can see light at the end of the tunnels.
"It's alright though" I say as I zoom off.

As the run goes on the thighs are a little sore from a couple of heavy days but I get on without.

 Leadenhall Market feels so different this side of Christmas.

In the end, the pace isn't blasting but good to be out and running.

5.5km 31:30

Run back from Lewisham with a good podcast

I was going to run some intervals at lunch, but then I downgraded to a plan to run a gentle 5km.  In the end work gets in the way and I don't get out at lunch.   I am still planning to run half way home tonight.

I cruise down to Cannon Street and only just make the train.  At Lewisham I get out and crack on with it. I am listening to an interesting podcast and the miles slip by.  I get caught and *every* traffic light on the way home

A run at lunch may have completely worn me out.  But, without it, a nice run

8.5km 53:36

Run home from Lewisham

I should be careful to get back into running easily but I can't resist the run home from Lewisham.

The run to Cannon Street is uneventful.  At Lewisham I realise it is going to be a little bit of a struggle but I get on with it.  I am hungry.  I realise that my light lunch is catching up with me.  I stop at a shop and get some Wine Gums and some Lemonade.   This spread out over the journey is enough to see me home.

It was a bit of struggle and not very fast, but it's good being back on it.

8km 50mins

Run half way to work because of the kids jet lag

The kids are still Jet Lagged and have me up before dawn has even thought about cracking.

I breakfast and dress them.  I am done with my duties and head to work.  I get off at Nunhead and run from there.  Nothing too spectacular, just a nice steady plod.

I don't even really pick up the pace in the City, which is unusual.

Enjoyable

7km 45"00

Water Fountain to Water Fountain Plus Run

My wife agrees I can go for a quick half hour run ahead of our delayed second Christmas.  I decide that seeing as I am getting back on it why not do the Water Fountain to Water Fountain run on Hayes Common.  This is a 5km run that I have been doing for as long as I have been running.

I set off and it is not too horrible.  I get to the far point and I don't want to stop as I'm enjoying this.  I risk the wrath of my wife and keep on running up towards Wilberforce.  I run down past the Wilberforce Oak.   If I keep going then I am going to go down a steep, steep hill, which will be a struggle to run back up.  So I keep going,

I reach the bottom of the hill and the half hour ticks up.  I turn and head back.  I run up the hill and back.  As per tradition I touch the two water fountains.

I get back to the car on an almost perfectly on an hour.   When I get home Mrs Squirrel is a little stressed, but I am buzzing from my run and get us back on track.

I've run twice the distance I was planning and loved it.  Maybe my fitness has not been as damaged as I thought.

9km 60mins

Earthquake, Jet Lag Blues Park Run

It all went wrong in NZ.  I was planning to get some serious training in for the Moonlight challenge (32mile ultra) and kick start my sub 3:30 Marathon Training.

The first problem was that all of the trails I had been dreaming of were shut, deemed too dangerous because of falling rocks.  This I may have been able to work around (at serious cost to my sanity).  However a couple of days before Christmas a massive 6.0 Earthquake struck again.  Whilst the damage was limited we continued to experience heavy aftershocks for the rest of our time in NZ.  My wife was too scared to be left in the house alone without the kids.  The upshot of this is 2 weeks without any running.

I have been battling the jet lag since getting back.  Finally today I drag myself to park run.  I don't intend to push hard but how much fitness can I have lost in two weeks.  Lots apparently.

I start off fine but then the pace drops to a sluggish jog.  It's not painful like sometimes, just sluggish.  I struggle round, I even put in a token sprint in the end.  I suspect the time is going to be bad.  And the time is appalling.  My 3rd slowest time ever and that includes the run in a foot of snow!  My instinct is that this is more hit by jet lag than complete loss of fitness.  Interestingly when I weigh myself at home, I have lost 3.5kg in NZ.

In reality, the full Moonlight challenge is not a goer coming to soon on the 5th Febuary.  I will go and maybe do 20miles as part of the Marathon training.  This is disappointing but the Brighton Marathon is my 'A' race for the year.  There is no reason why this and the 3:30 target the should be impacted.

Time to get over this jet lag, knuckle down and get back on track.

5km 26:06