Stop! Carry on…

I took the less lazy but more foolhardy but probably just as quick option for collecting the motorbike this afternoon and ran.

Another run under my belt, another 4 miles, another increase in mileage to test my shin. And so far, so good.

I set off slower, intent on not causing injury as well as wanting to maintain spring in my step despite tight calves from yesterday (tight calves…after 4 miles…when I was putting in 18 and 20 mile runs with no calf pain throughout the winter…oh, how the fitness fails when you can’t walk!), but all pace went to the wall as I passed the pikies at the end of Chart Road and had to a) outrun the two dogs that started to chase me; b) stop and (in what I hope was a convincing “I’m your master” voice!) shout “stop – go home!” at them when, two corners later they were still chasing me at a “we can go much faster and do you if we fancy, but we’re really enjoying cocking up your run, so won’t” pace. One of them went home, the other plodded on until a well timed 4×4 nearly ran it over and slowed it enough that I could make my escape, only for; c) having to stop at the only bit wide enough for the 8 wheel tipper truck to pass me on it’s way up the hill which I discovered yesterday, waiting aaaaages in the process as it climbed slowly up.

Frustrated and sore by now, I looked at the Garmin and discovered I was only 2 miles in!

Then the A28 and clearly some traffic lights further up the road sent a huge wave of trucks, coaches and cars towards me, forcing a stop in a clear bit of hedge as they passed, only for the same to happen twice more over the same stretch, slowing the pace at this bit to a slower than run-walk pootle.

And with it, I think I can claim my most disrupted outing of the current campaign.

But I’m still injury free, my legs are tight but feeling good, I still have two days off before the weekend when I collect a new pushbike, the porch and toilet are looking good (if still a long way off complete) and, apart from wanting to spend more time in the garden but only having a finite quantity of seconds available, I think I’m enjoying my time off.

If only Jogblog would get healthy again, we could enjoy the couple of days out I promised.

Longer

Being off as I am this week, and working on the porch and downstairs toilet as I also am, running might well have taken a break. But for my fantastic motorcycle.

Booked it in for a service a few weeks ago and yesterday, it being dry and all, I opted to take it in a day early and use the excuse to run home. I was going to blog it yesterday but computer problems stopped me.

Bad computer.

So, a day later than expected, I can confirm that it’s just about spot 0n 4 miles from here to the motorbike shop, that there’s a flippin’ big hill that I didn’t know existed on the route if you use the back road that I ran (the main road skirts the lump and I’m so inattentive I simply didn’t notice it was there. Good running!) and, at 4 miles, it’s the longest run I’ve done since the marathon.

And despite a little soreness when I set out, my legs now feel fine and dandy. Except for slightly tight calves.

Now…Jack’s just called to say the bike’s ready. Do I drive/ride/cycle/drive the sensible way to collect it, or jog back just a day after my last run?

I’ve an hour to decide.