Sun at last.

Week 5 day 1. Yesterday I ran my longest run so far- 16.5 miles. I wasn't sure how it would go, because I have felt tired all week from last Sunday's Herepath Half. However, I am pleased to say that I went the distance without any trouble. It was a beautiful, freezing, sunny day, which made the whole run an enjoyable experience. I headed off across the levels listening to Bad Brains, then Jelly Roll Morton, then Deerhoof, then The New York Dolls. I love random play!

Keeping going was not difficult- I just settled into an easy rhythm, kept breathing, and listened to the tunes. I drank water whenever I felt thirsty, and had an energy gel every 3 miles. I was tired when I tramped past The Sheppey Inn at mile 13, but happy in the knowledge that I would return there later for a pint. Sundays were meant for this! 

Wot, mud?

Week 4, day 2. No run today. My schedule says I should run 5 miles, but I need a rest. The last 2 weeks have been pretty tiring, and this morning after only being up for 2 hours my body started to protest. At 8.30 I took L to school as usual, with J in tow. On returning home J and me spent an hour doing activity books at the kitchen table which was fine, but then it had to be the goggle box I'm afraid. This afternoon we went out and about on the scooter for 2 hours, then when M came home from work I had to lie down for another 2. The Xmas and New Year period requires stamina as it is, without adding 25 miles a week onto it! I am living proof that accumulating mileage and alcoholic units simultaneously can lead to engine failure.

Mind you, I did 2 good long runs. Last Sunday was a 10 miler down in Devon, then this week gone I participated in the inaugural Herepath Half Marathon trail run. It was lush! 7 miles running up into the Blackdown Hills, then 7 miles running back down. Beautiful wild scenery at the top. No rain for a change, but it was very, very muddy. At one point I slipped and fell flat on my face, which was quite alarming. It was then I realised that the sticky stuff underfoot was only 50% mud. The rest cow pat.

A random thought for the day from J:

'Daddy did you know that a long, long, long time ago cats used to lay eggs?' 

It's Xmaaaaaaaas!!!

Well, that was xmas 2012. When we all watched doggy doo to see what was coming next, and we all laughed. And then my lovely lady wife danced in her onesie babygro’ with her wonder woman pants on top, and had a look on her face like I don’t know what. She span like a marshmallow on a stick and we laughed so hard I wanted it to last forever. And then me and M with L and J watched a family cartoon and L felt safe and at home and was brave with the scary bits and sat on my lap, and when it was finished he said 'that was a GREAT film!' and me and M almost cried. Xmas 2012- I went for a run on 25 and 26, filled with food on the day and booze from the day before, legs aching up the hills and then quietly plodding down the other side- wanting to get home. April in Paris seems a long way away. And J said thank you so many times, and played with his penguins like they were the best thing ever. We built Lego racing cars and then never played with them again- and shot angry birds across the room. Loads of turkey and parsnips and Abney and Teal on tv. My mum came to stay, which was wonderful. And I was a lazy old fart and watched 'Rocky' on the telly late at night. 27 Dec- 1 mile time trial, on a bellyfull of bubble and squeek.

I saw a kingfisher.

Crikey, what a run I have been on today. To start off with I was late leaving, and so was worried that it would be dark before I finished and I would be stuck running along narrow country lanes with farmers and boy racers speeding past. I didn't want to have to dodge their Land Rovers and souped up Peugeots without so much as a florescent green headband to illuminate me.

Then after that I had run only 2 miles when I found myself facing an impassable section of road. We have had bucket loads of rainfall around these parts of late, leading to floods all over the shop and road closures aplenty. I kind of expected something like this would happen, but took a leap into the unknown- that's the sort of adventurous guy I am! However, I am not so adventurous that I would get my feet wet unnecessarily, so I turned around and chose an alternate route- adding an extra mile to my run. There was loads of surface water everywhere, meaning I had to weave around enormous puddles in the road whilst watching out for oncoming vehicles- extreme running or what, heh?

Anyway, after 8 miles I turned off the main road and headed down a side track which takes you by a small river. Vehicles don't use the track very often, so it is always quiet. I was jogging along slowly, enjoying the scenery of the levels with the Tor in the distance, when all of a sudden a shimmering flash of blue was gliding along just above the water to my right. Yes folks, it was a kingfisher! I don't know why, but every time I see a kingfisher, which is not very often, my heart is lifted. I watched it for only about 10 seconds before it disappeared, but that was enough to make my day. After that I started noticing all the other birds flying around- I saw a kestrel hovering above me, and a flock of geese heading westwards to the sea. And then, as the dusk was arriving, along came the starlings. In winter time enormous numbers of starlings gather to roost here on the levels, and as I was jogging down the track the sky above me darkened. Murmuration after murmuration flew over my head and I could see their reflections in the puddles at my feet and in the flooded fields surrounding me. This all happened at mile 11, and by this stage I was running in some sort of trance, so the whole thing was quite something.

To complement all this visual stimulation, todays' standout track on the mp3 player was the good old J&MC. Rest assured, this tune will keep you running like there's no tomorrow. By the way, I got home before dark. Signing out.

       

5+5+12=22

Week 1, day 6. I ran 5 miles today and 5 miles yesterday, and will run 12 miles tomorrow. That is a lot of miles for me! I do feel tired tonight, so will need to pace myself properly tomorrow. No alcoholic beverages tonight either- I have learned that you cannot do long runs the morning after the night before. This might cause me a problem or two during the Xmas period, but I am determined to stick to the schedule- I WILL NOT FALTER! (ok, I probably will, but never mind)

 

Give me all your money!

Week 1, day 4. Ooh my sore legs- I think I need a rest. How fortunate then, that today is officially my first rest day! This gives me the opportunity to relay to you the fine and noble purpose of my running quest. No, I am not just running the Paris Marathon to get fit, or to big myself up in the eyes of my legions of Facebook and Twitter followers. Of course not! Why would anyone do that? Instead, I am trying to raise a bit of money for what I consider to be a really good cause:

MIND is the national mental health charity that provides advice and support to anyone who has a mental health problem. It does this online, on the phone, and in numerous regional drop-in centres. MIND also campaigns on a range of issues, such as stigma, that could affect anybody with a mental health problem. 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem during the course of a year, so we can all benefit from the service that MIND provides. If you are interested in finding out more about MIND, then here is a link for you...
http://www.mind.org.uk/

So, I would love it and be really grateful if you could make a donation to this fantastic and essential organisation- via my VirginMoneyGiving Page. Any amount, large or small, will be greedily accepted, and you will even receive a salutary e-mail from the runner himself. Merci beaucoup!
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=AndyNation&faId=274861&isTeam=false  

A little bit of hillage.

Week 1, day 3. No, not Steve Hillage- that would be silly. If you run up a hill it makes your legs stronger, and that is what I am doing once a week for the next 6 weeks or so. Tonight it was 4 1/2 miles, up and down twice. It is pretty flat around these parts, with only one area of hillage nearby- the Tor. So that is where I run. My legs felt good, and I took it easy. Techno on the headphones, running in the dark- I love it!