Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Here Comes The Sun
by Russell Turner - 17:33 on 28 February 2021
Spring is in the air. Today, for the end of Week 3 of Virtual Edinburgh training, my legs saw the sun for the first time this year. That didn’t mean there wasn’t an occasionally cool breeze – which there was – but as my long-sleeved top remains undiscarded I was fine.
Whether they’ll stay uncovered remains to be seen: today’s balmy 11ºC is forecast to fall, although the wind will continue to be light.
Yesterday the training programme called for a 50min session including 30mins of hills. The hills were negotiated without a problem but an adventurous route home added an extra 16mins when I couldn’t find my way through the vast acres of Braelangwell, one of the three grand houses in the vicinity. Its chatelaine, whom I came across lopping branches, couldn’t have been nicer in directing me back on to the public path. Lady Newhall, in contrast, would have told me to “get awf my land”.
Today’s long run was 90mins which, with an added 81secs, turned out to be nine miles; I’d estimated 8.5 miles so I was a touch speedy. That may be why the final two miles took a bit more effort than the previous seven. Or maybe it was yesterday’s hills. Or the headwind.
Or maybe it’s that nine miles/90mins falls into that awkward area: not far enough for a backpack filled with Tailwind; just on the edge of a comfortable distance without an energy boost. I did take out (and drink) water for the first time this year but couldn’t be bothered with the bloks I carried. So it’s probably my fault.
Next weekend’s long run covers a further 15mins, so I’ll be into double-figure mileage for the first time since Virtual London. I’ll have to be better organised.
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