Still doing stuff

Honest, I’m still alive!
An absence of ability to upload stats to Running Free has lead to me just doing stuff on my own, enjoying it and getting on with things, really.
I finished last year with an detached run distance of just over 6 miles which, combined with only 3 runs being over 7 miles and no runs after April of under 6 miles means, yep, I just about ran a while year of 6 mile jogs.
This year I’ve already mixed it up more with a couple of hilly interval repeats, a 7 miles outing and some shorter distance cross-country jogs, which I’m enjoying.
Also finished the year and am carrying on with some more upper body strength work, plus some bmx and mountain-bike fun.
So yes, active, just not involved!
But enjoying things.

A couple more runs

Last week had me enjoying the weather with a decent (for me) 7+ miles on Monday evening (I usually stop at 6 on a weeknight) and a full 10k on Wednesday, the latter being a little slower but still comfortably under 8 minute mile pace.
Happy with my jogging, Thursday had me buying shoes for a business might out which accidentally had me buy some bargain trainers – got to love an Asics discount or two.
Looking forward to trying them out now!

Maybe tomorrow if I sleep well enough tonight!

Completely unmotivated

I went for a 6 mile jog on Thursday having been stolen from it on Wednesday (got changed at work, walked through the car park to drop my bag in my car before my run, saw a colleague looking for his keys. Turned out he’d locked them in his boot so I drove him home for spare keys, then back by which time it was 6.30 and past my running time) and that’s it.
My chest and back still hurt from my bmx crash and I feel so lethargic even gardening feels like it’s being done through treacle.
Not riding last night hasn’t helped but I’ll attempt something tomorrow in the hope I’ll enjoy it enough to press on.
Ah, well, at least now I’m middle-aged I can be excused being fat, slow and unfit.

A Sunday jog

I’ve things to do tomorrow evening, so forced myself to stop enjoying the garden for an hour and dusted these off:

I plodded off along the Greensand Way with the thought I’d enjoy seeing the fields and countryside before the 5,750 houses are built.
It’s truly criminal that, in 20 years, none of the run I did will exist.
7 miles of enjoyment with a little tint of sadness for the future.

Yesterday

Ah, yes. I partook in a mountainbike ride, as I like to most Fridays. 16 miles this time, with the wrong chain (snapped mine last time out, awaiting replacement. Chain Reaction Cycles used to have fantastic customer service. Nowadays it’s shit) but apart from rubbing the front mech a bit, I can confirm 9speed chains work on 10speed rings and cassettes without loss of performance as an emergency measure, at least.
Good fun ride, slow with it being greasy after rain showers, but better than jogging non-stop.
And my ribs just ache when going is hard now, so nearly mended.
All good.

A little better

Another jog around Rye this evening. My now almost regular 6 miles was 20 seconds a mile quicker than Monday’s effort and lots more comfortable all around.
Hope I can continue to enjoy a few miles this year.

June already

Not that you’d know it by the weather though, to be fair.
Bruised my ribs by falling off the bmx on Friday so only managed a slow jog tonight.
Still, it’s 6 miles sorted. Better things can come.

The forgotten posts

I’ve been doing a bit, just not honouring the Janathon ways by blogging about it, is all.
A steady run a bit later than I wanted after work Thursday and another fantastically fun pump track outing last night.
Which, with another early work start this morning, makes a tired man of me.
So I’ll bore my reader no more and shuffle off!

Just a jog

The crisp weather with zero wind made me almost excited about a run this evening.
Keeping my enthusiasm after I’d started seemed a miracle.
Selecting the hilliest street-lamp-lit route I could was remarkable.
Adding an unnecessary out and back to make distance to 6 miles foolhardy.
Looping a block having arrived at the closed level crossing merely done to keep warm.
Maintaining a spring in my step up the last hill incredible.
Enjoying the whole effort how exercise should be.
The shut level crossing even put me dangerously close to a proper race distance. Good job I didn’t look at my Garmin.

Pump track

The incredible rain quantities resulted in sacking-off the mountainbike and even road bike plans (justified on my drive through Aldington which was little short of a stream) last night.
But wanting some two wheeled entertainment, the new Swingfield pump track was visited with Steve and Shaun.
Now if anyone wants to argue that not pedalling (much-its a hard track to get right!) around a 0.1 mile circuit isn’t a workout, I challenge them to try it!
Below freezing temperatures, warm body. Frosty ground, loads of grip. Wet fields, dry track. 40 laps, knackered Shaun.
A brilliantly fun workout.