Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Or some variation thereof. It took ages to plan today’s run; I didn’t want to run in the village, I wanted to go somewhere interesting, I didn’t fancy a route I planned last week because I think it should be reserved for nicer weather, I was happy to drive but not too far…

Unfortunately, I got busted and was told in no uncertain terms that I was spending too far long planning, instead I should have been out doing some actual running. After a bit of googling I hit upon a plan, only to realise that while it was a good plan it was also a 10 mile plan. I pondered for while, got changed and drove 2 miles down the road to cut 4 miles off the loop. Part of me is proud of coming up with this plan, part of me is ashamed, but there is no way that I could have done 10 miles without a lot of walking and some tears.

I only had a vague idea of my plan; straight on, turn left, hope for the best, run round a lake, return by the same route. Although I managed to find my way, I forgot to account for the number of hills and the fact that it’s not the most inspirational of lakes (it’s actually a reservoir). However, it was nice to go somewhere entirely new and I added on an extra quarter of a mile to make up for a bit of walking on the return uphills (alright, it was also because it started raining and my car was a quarter of a mile away).

All in all, I did enjoy today’s run. Not having a clue where I was going took my mind off things, the extra quarter of a mile made it the longest one I’ve done in ages and I just felt good afterwards.

If all goes according to plan, next weekend’s daylight running photos will not include trees or fields. Phew.

Day 23/31 – 6.25 miles

Ferrero rochers burned

Ah, daylight running! I feel very satisfied with today on all counts. Once I’d written my Stuff To Do list, lost it and then found it again, I managed a very effective morning and got lots done. Ginge was at work and when he arrived home, we went out to do the 5 mile route that he ran on Wednesday.

We live in the village where Ginge was born and raised, so every route is littered with historical significance (sometimes about the village, more often about where he and his mates used to hang around having a less than legal drink) and they take me on routes that I would never go out on alone.

Ginge (who has once again declined my offer to guest blog) remarked that he was finding the route easier today than he did on Wednesday. I put this down to the scintillating company and witty banter (he did agree that it was nice to have someone to point things out to), but more scientifically, Ginge reckoned that it was down to timing (afternoon instead of first thing). Apparently the optimum time to run is in the afternoon, unfortunately my head and my body disagree with each other on this one. I’m a morning person for doing things and if I don’t get things done then (including running) I’m much less likely to do them later in the day. I’m also more likely to get quite cross with myself for not doing them at the time that I ‘should’…

I really enjoyed today’s run. It took my out of my comfort zone in terms of time (Running at lunchtime? Surely no good will come of this…), route and terrain (Fields! Streams! Leaf mould! Stiles!), I got to spend some time with himself and I didn’t fall over (thank you to everyone who wished my knee well – it’s fine, unless I prod at it. I will stop prodding at it some time soon).  I also got to see the only cows in the village.

Unfortunately, I’m now sitting in darkness thanks to a very localised power cut (streetlights are on a few hundred yards down the road – conveniently this side of the pizza shop) and may never know what happened in Come Dine With Me.

Ooh, and the cumulative Ferrero Rocher count has gone past a century – 107 so far!

 

Day 22/31 –5 miles

Ferrero rochers burned

On Monday I went out in the early evening, dutifully clad in my hi-vis reflective shield of protection and wondered why I bothered. The dog walkers lurking in the undergrowth didn’t bother, neither did people walking home from work and the kids hanging round outside Spar certainly didn’t. The nearest I spotted was a lad with fluorescent toggles on his duffle coat, which hardly counts. The only non-runners I ever seem to see in hi-vis are a couple of dog walkers (who seem to wear it in the glaring sunlight, which seems a bit pointless) and crocodiles of children being a walking bus. I’m in a well-lit place, not crossing any major roads and I stick to the pavements – I only go marginally faster running than walking, so why do I wear it?

Because it turns out that I feel vulnerable and apologetic if I don’t. A quarter of a mile from home I realised that the ‘there’s something missing’ feeling was down to the fact that I was dressed like an amateur mime artist and I had barely any reflective surface area. Too late to return home, I carried on, sticking resolutely to the hedge side of the pavement and crossing roads with a level of care of which Tufty himself would have been proud. Despite getting back in one piece and barely seeing any traffic, I still feel slightly guilty and ashamed.

 

Day 19/31 –2.5 miles

Ferrero rochers burned