Running in December

I have been running. It's been a good month so far. My calf feels good. I can feel it twinge on occasion but I now know how to handle it. Two things - 1) try to never run on consecutive days (I now run every other day) and 2) stretch.

I've not been doing long runs, but that's more due to lack of time than to lack of will. I have however noticed my speed has increased quite considerably since my injury and with the rehab.

I had one of those magical runs on Wed. I was in London and I ran on my own to Brondesbury and back over the High Road. It was bitterly cold. I ran a fast 08:52 (mile) pace and I was flying along. It was hard but my heart and lungs stayed on it matching every step. I kept the pace up. It was wicked.. I don't know what makes some runs so great. The last time I had one like that was back in the summer one night with Morgan; it just feels as though the act of running is the most perfect thing for me to be doing at that time. It's quite special. Those runs are like gifts.

30th Nov - Maygrove to Hampstead Heath (hills) - 4.07 miles / 09:56 pace

1st Dec - Gym treadmill - 2 miles. I was knackered. I'de been biking the day before and had given the rowing machine a thrashing before I got to the tread...

3rd Dec - Woolpit, Suffolk - cat shit path - 2.71 miles / 09:37 pace.

4th Dec - Woolpit, Suffolk - cat shit path twice - 4.64 miles / 09:31 pace. Horrible run. Cold, dark and depressing. Rural England on this afternoon was old ladies in beige coats, men in white vans, headlines about the recession and the vast leaden sky. Somewhat bleak.

6th Dec - Home / Longstomps/ Central Park - an evening run. 4.39 miles. Hard work. Rain. Cold wind and house full of ladies buying xmas decs when I got back.

9th Dec - Home/Private rd/ Hylands Park / Writtle - Great run. 7.17 miles / 09:44 pace. Tried to enjoy run and ignore form.

11th Dec - Treadmill - 3 miles.

12th Dec - Maygrove / Brondesbury with Iain - 2.94 miles / 09:05 pace.

14th Dec - Maygrove / Hampstead Heath - 3.25 miles / 10:05 pace. Hills.

17th Dec - Woolpit, Suffolk - Usual route + new footpath - 4.14 miles / 09:04 pace.

19th Dec - Maygrove / Brondesbury / High Rd - 3.32 miles / 08:52 pace - this was the good one.

20th Dec - Maygrove / Brondesbury / High Rd, with Iain - 3.35 / 09:04 pace.

22nd Dec Home / Longstomps/ Central Park - 4.39 miles / 08:39 pace. Yesterday. Great run. I pushed myself. Really into getting my speed up.

T