For the first time in 2019 I’ve managed to get a decent long run in. Both due to circumstance and, if I’m strictly honest, willpower, I’ve not put together more than a 40k week this year. That ended today. Nature made it more of a challenge and gave my motivation a big test but we end the week with 50k on the board, having notched up a 23k ‘long’ run this morning. It’s not huge and it needs to get longer but it’s a start. And it was cold so I think that counts for more.
I try to get the long runs in early before everyone surfaces then it doesn’t impact the day too much but, man, that bed is so much more comfy when the running alarm goes off. When it’s -5C outside it’s even more tempting to stay inside. I get everything ready the night before, to the point of laying my kit out on the floor next to me. This makes it easy getting up in the dark but mainly it reduces any potential excuses to not go.
Usually within about a minute of leaving the house, I’m glad I went out. True that first minute this morning was a shocker. I can’t actually remember a run in colder conditions. I was well layered up so off we went. The sun started coming up after about 25 minutes and it was worth it all of a sudden.
I wasn’t going for pace today just comfort and trying to be consistent. My success with the latter is debatable but I certainly kept it comfortable. A combination of this, a chocolatey Tesco Munch bar and these views made it a cracker of a run:
It was about half and half trail and road and most of the trail was crunchy snow.
What’s particularly interesting about today’s run is that I did almost exactly the same run during a hot July Sunday last year. Back then, I got through about 1.5l of water and a thousand snacks. It was massive struggle and a bit of a shock. Today I struggled to get through 0.5l water (as it kept freezing in the straw) and was absolutely fine, give or take a runny nose and sore fingers by the end. Shows how much of a drain running in the heat can be. That, and I’m a bit of a wuss running in the heat.
Anyway, at the end of the day, I got a good run in this morning, reminded myself that having the smug self-satisfaction of an early Sunday run is a wonderful thing and clocked up 50k for the week. As a bonus, 8 hours later, my nether regions have settled back to normal now too.
Onwards and upwards now, another good mileage week this week and that April 50-miler is well within my sights.
Kit Today
- T-shirt
- Shorts
- Waterproof long sleeved jacket with hood
- Beanie hat
- Thinsulate gloves
- Saucony Ride road shoes
- Head torch
- Salomon ADV Skin 5l running vest
longruntom 