Category: The Athons

Janathon day eight: efficient

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I am a natural born procrastinator. I am easily distrac….ooh, look pigeons…. Sorry, distracted. I will always find something to do that isn’t the thing that I’m supposed to be doing and running is no exception this. I’ve accepted that there has to be a minimum of 20-30 minutes between getting up and going for an early run (but that’s more, ahem, intestinal than anything) but later runs can take hours to actually happen. Janathon is an enabler in all there as there is always someone to tweet or a blog to read and I can pass off “faffing around on my phone” as camaraderie and offering peer support.

Tonight I was determined not to get caught by the faff monster. Home 10 minutes early, I followed JogBlog’s 3G Mantra(TM) and I was changed and ready to go by half five. Once again I was joined by Ginge opening up a whole world of not-safe-for-ladies-on-their-own routes, this time one that took us down deserted alleyways and lonely unlit paths. Unfortunately we only have one set of hi-vis so himself wore it and ran alongside me like a ginger guide dog. It was a 4.5ish mile loop that was rounded up to 5 with a little add on at the end. The first couple of miles felt harder (and were slower) than the last two runs I have done – my legs are definitely feeling the effects of Janathon at the moment.

When I got home I was checking twitter (obviously) and spotted that abradypus had posted “If I’d gone for a run when I first mentioned it, I’d be home showered and tucked up on the sofa again by now” which is pretty much one of my favourite running quotes that I’ve seen on twitter (I forget who I should hat tip for this photo – if it’s you, tell me for full credit!). This should be my mantra….

It's true. It really is. I still ignore it most of the time mind.

It’s true. It really is. I still ignore it most of the time mind.

 

Janathon day seven: shop

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Today’s Janathon effort was a ‘shop and drop’. These usually occur several times during an Athon and come into play when I need both exercise and groceries. Basically, we go and do the big shop at Tesco, Ginge throws me out at the side of the road and I run home. Tonight I did the shopping in my kit (hi-vis vest in handbag, I’ve got to have some standards) and was chucked out with a couple of miles to go. Miles was having one of his sulks at being asked to find satellites (either because it was cloudy or because I was standing next to a tree) but eventually we both got our act together and legged it back in time for tea.

This was not the only shopping that I have done in the past 24 hours. My beloved Asics Kayano 18s were half price at Sweatshop this weekend and the Telegraph were doing a £10 voucher as well, so it seemed rude not to invest in a pair for when my current shoes give up. Unfortunately, I was given an education in the difference between ‘a sale’ and ‘an offer’. It turns out that I couldn’t use the voucher for my trainers because they were on offer, rather than being in the sale. Still it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Lovely clean shoes

Lovely clean shoes

The Telegraph also had a voucher for Women’s Health magazine, which went into the trolley tonight and will probably cause me to curse and mutter dark oaths under my breath from cover to cover.

So that’s week one of Janathon completed and 21 miles done!

Janathon day six: muddy

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I had the pleasure of some company on today’s run and was bravely joined by Ginge (I often become quite stroppy with him when we run together and I wouldn’t put with me if I was him). Running with Ginge means that I can do routes that I would be a bit nervy doing on my own (mainly through fields and the lonelier parts of the village) and today was no different. While we were out we toyed with two longer routes; one was a known 7.5 miles, the other an unknown distance (I’ve fallen for mystery tours before, it rarely ends well), but settled for a short (3.5 miles) hilly, mudfest of a run.

First past some sheep fields, saying hello to the occupants and making them flee with the sight of me flailing past them.

Posing sheep

Posing sheep

If you like all things ovine, Jovial Gnome is treating us all to Sheep of the Day on his Janathon blog. I am in sheepy heaven with this and am going to go round and rustle them all into the boot of my Renault Clio at the first opportunity. Technically my sheep are strangers to me, but I shall call them (from left to right) Muriel, Agnes and Maud.

Next up on the nature walk run was a hawk. We tried to sneak up on it but failed miserably although I managed to take a moody Kes-style black and white shot (entirely by chance than design) before it went and sat in a tree where it looked (a) less hawkish and (b) very precarious.

Imagine Brian Glover on a football pitch, stage left.

Imagine Brian Glover on a football pitch, stage left.

That can't be comfy

That can’t be comfy

There were some fabulously squelchy bits to the run. I splashed through these gleefully and oblivious to the fact that I was narrowly avoiding barrelling into Ginge, whilst he cowered in my muddy wake. Ooops.

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Beware indeed…

Janathon day five: park

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Despite it being Saturday, I had to work this morning. Bah. I tried to come up with a convoluted plan that involved running to or from work, but it wasn’t to be. If I ran to work I wouldn’t have access to showers and that would be at best impolite and at worst, in violation of any number of infection control policies. If I ran back from work, it would be a steady uphill trek and I would then have to catch the bus back to pick up my car (I couldn’t bus it to work because of the amount of stuff I had to take with me). I considered running the streets near work, but quite frankly this didn’t fill me full of joy. I thought about driving somewhere after work, but feared that this would end up taking up the entire afternoon.

And then I remembered that Saturday work is virtually opposite a park. So I decided to run there. It was a glorious spring-like day, the sun was shining and the paths were full of people searching the rhodedron bushes for children and dogs. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that most of the park is uphill and it was only when I got home that Ginge pointed out that it is called a valley for a reason. Still, I enjoyed myself, I tackled the hills with enthusiasm (until the enthusiasm stopped short of my actual legs) and took lots of photos of trees.

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Janathon day four: visible

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Another early run went by the wayside after another not brilliant night’s sleep. Skipping a Friday morning run would normally lead to a missed Friday night run as my good intentions dwindle as the day goes on. But this is Janathon! And there can be no skiving, because then other people mock you on twitter. So off I went (weirdly, I was quite enthusiastic about the whole enterprise).

As runningman856 pointed out, running under the cover of darkness hides a multitude of running kit sins and I have found that the advantage of wearing my hi-vis bib is that I can wear it over otherwise unworn tops that have become a little too snug for public viewing.

No hiding in this thing

No hiding in this thing

Tonight was mild though and I thought I would give one of my race t-shirts a bit of an airing. I have always thought that the Bolton 10k t-shirt is a little too bright for daylight (and possibly a little too bright for the human eye) but this seemed like a good night to finally wear it for its designed purpose.

Earned on a rainy day. No medal though. Sigh.

Earned on a rainy day. No medal though. Sigh.

Wearing a race t-shirt also had the dual purpose of showing to the world that this was not merely day 4 of a new resolution (JogBlog has a handy guide to not looking like a gym newbie if this is a concern to you, whereas if newbies are a thorn in your side, Cake of Good Hope has a handy guide for you to be a bigger hearted, better runner). All in all it was a splendid 4 miles at a pace that I’ve certainly not seen in a while – it’s early doors, but Janathon has definitely put a spring in my step today.