Back to it

After months of half hearted running, and back breaking work things are easing up on the work so back to running.

I've slowly built up to a 40km total this week so things are improving. After a long run yesterday with a couple of dodgers - thanks guys, the rehab continued this am pre breakfast. I set off for a short recovery run but was "caught up" by AliB - also out for a recovery run, predictably having agreed to do a slow recovery we ended up picking up the pace and cantered round to Addingham and back at tempo pace, pushing or pulling each other around(or perhaps that was her recovery pace and my tempo...) - so in the end much better value than slow, and felt good, if not as fast as last Spring.

Feet on the clouds

The early bird catches the worm they say. After a week of joy and sadness, anguish and peace, comfort and pain, I need to go into work today - which should have been my day off. So an early start and as I needed a bit of space, I set off to run down into Ilkley but my legs knew better and before I knew it I was heading up on t'moor.

An amazing cloud inversion left me above the clouds that filled the valley around. Where i ran it was clear, cold, radiant and damp.

I could get all metaphysical describing it all - something of the sky, the infinite, but also the heart pounding, leg screaming and not least the dirt that I ran in -(from dirt we come from, from dirt we return - but also i think to and from the stars....)

Meanwhile back on planet earth - for those who strangely seem bothered, last 2 weeks 60km, and 4 hours of dirty, nasty, big grin mtb, Oh and entered me a race of 2 - Conniston 14 in March and i'll return to racing at the Stoop before Christmas

Fat boy slow mixes it up

After a shameful 3 plus weeks of not running, (not sure why.... laziness, busyness, family - nothing new then), I got out yesterday and today. The verdict - fatter and slower - so no suprises there.
Yesterday Old bridge - to addingham circular and today a yomp up on't moor.
Must look out some races to keep me focused.
Off to see England loose at Cricket tomorrow with mum so no running

Back to the lolipop

3mins to 7 and eventually settled the shall I shalln't I debate, quick change and down to the tennis club to just catch the lads and lasses setting out for various pack runs on club night. Took the group doing the Burley Lolipop, really a winter run, so faster and flatter. Aim was 8:30 but all a bit frisky tonight so 8min mile pace including the regroups etc, so felt tempo to me, but good catch up with a few, and given that I'm not race fit at the moment good miles. 9.5 of them, nice

Early Sunday am

Now feeling fat after Sunday lunch, but able to blog a long run, a shower, breakfast, dropping eldest off for the train and church before 12 today.
Nice day for an early morning run - out along the back road to Bolton Abbey and back. The heron looked suitably bemused by my presence, I was suitably bemused by a large peton just giving me room to run.
A steady 90mins to Bolton Abbey and back, looking up

Hopefully really back on the road again

Last blog was a bit premature, felt about 100 for a few days after the last run, so not really recovered from that flu like illness, so last 11 days 3 runs, one ear infection with a bit of a dizzy do, A level results and mum to stay...
So One shortish run including a climb from Ilkley to top of moor, one very early morning hill efforts session up the hill to Cow and Calf Pub and today a steady 10 km - felt ok so a long run tomorrow.

Back on the road again

After nearly 2 weeks finally got those running shoes back on. A bout of "flu like illness" slowed me down nearly to a standstill coming back from hol's, I certainly couldn't make it out for a jog, so nice to get out tonight with a group from the Harriers.
It feels like the nights are drawing in a bit, so not so many Tuesday nights out of town/off road left.
Nigel led us a steady pace up Owler Park Road, through Woods, Nesfield down to Addingham over the bridge then round and about and up the very big hill to Addingham Moorside before "contouring" back to Ilkley.
Whilst a steady group tonight it wasn't steady enough for some of us including me - I really struggled the last bit so will put this down as a "recovery run". Hopefully it was post viral and it won't take me yonks to get back to how I was running before the hols.
The watch says - 15.9km, 1hr 35min, 1500ft of up, and 1500 calories - I think I'll have a beer