2 small runs around the streets

Well I’m keeping up my goal of running every day this week - 1 more to go.  Today’s nearly didn’t happen and it was so small it desrves no further mention.  Yesterday I ran to a meeting in Barton Hill - about 6km in total. Several modes of transport were used by the attendees from my part of town.  On the way back I was overtaken by the bike.  But I wasn’t overtaken by the car!

I’ve never run out in that direction before, but I made it to the Bristol/Bath cycle path in well under 10 minutes, and I think I should make more use of that. Traffic free, flat(ish), and no desperate haul up Redland Road.

I’m thinking it would be fun to enter the Sri Chimnoy Self Transcendence 3x1mile relay with some friends, in five days time …

Bristol Half Marathon training camp

I see there is another training camp for the Bristol Half Marathon with Liz Yelling, to be held at Ashton Court. Something about complimentary entry to the race too, so could be handy if you don’t have an entry yet.

Up the downs

One of the greatest frustrations of modern life, in my view, is the continued presence of the shoe-lace. You would think that with all we had achieved we would’ve put it behind us by now. I consider fiddling with shoe laces a waste of time, so I don’t do double knots, and that, I suppose, is why my laces were undone by the long grass of the downs. So I had to stop and fiddle with them again. Were it not for my long legs, my inner thighs would have been whipped by the seed heads of the grass as I ran through, which I imagine is a feeling akin to being a thoroughbred in the dying moments of a big race at Epsom - sort of.

Anyway, I was reunited with my friend, Redland Road today. A hill which provides a good warm up for runners from my part of town en-route to the downs. My foot hurt a tiny bit while it warmed up, and a lot more coming back down Redland Road, but no big deal. I have sore shins and calves now - thanks to my month off, so I will have a tiny run tomorrow.

My run up Redland Road to the downs, and back is one of my benchmark runs. A 9.8 km round trip which I did slower than I have for a year. I would really recommend Redland Road to anyone in my part of town (other good ones are Jacobs Wells Road, and Park Street all the way to the downs). It is horrible the first few times, but (as with all hills - on feet or bikes), an understanding forms and one can grow to love it. Its only 10 minutes of misery, but once you crack it, there is no looking back.

Just about a normal run

Went out for 6.5k today and although I was aware of my foot, I couldn’t say it slowed me down, so I think I have no excuses for not running.  But a month off and I certainly feel different - I don’t have that smooth feel any more, and the past few days’ activities have left my legs feeling sore. Ran at a pretty OK pace … under the circumstances.

I expect Rick and a couple of others will be doing some interval/speed training on the downs this evening, but I think I will skip it tonight. Maybe next week …

I’ve also added more info to the race diary.

No gain. No pain.

Went out earlier today for a second post-injury run in the pouring rain.

Not long or fast, but my foot held up well. I was pretty pleased about that. I went up Ashley Down Road and down Gloucester Road - both long gentle hills.

Yesterday I was yomping around the Somerset countryside on a training day with a company I work for occasionally.  You might be interested - they run charity challenge trips abroad and also adventure races. We probably covered about 15-20 km walking and jogging, and by the end my foot was feeling a bit tired and sore, and I was worried. But this morning it felt fine - perhaps even better!

So I’m feeling excited and hoping I can put in a further two respectable efforts in the Bridge Inn Series this year. My PB is 17:47 (a year ago it was 19ish), and before the end of this year I would love to get down to 17:30. I believe I could do much faster, but that depends on a much more committed effort from me for sure.

As I don’t want to hurt my foot, my plan is to run a little bit every day this week…