Back on track

9.8 miles in 1:18:26 (PB)
Route: Ham and High circuit 1

Really enjoyed this run. It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the air is cool, the route was lovely and there’s not an interval or speed session in sight!

Ironically, this was a re-run of the course which laid me up for four weeks over Christmas. Last time around, I struggled the whole way and could barely walk at the end. It’s a measure of how far I’ve come that, while I’m only doing the same distance I was doing in mid-December, I got around comfortably.

That said, my knee is still only at about 70%. It’s definitely feeling better – the stretching programme has really helped – but it’s still a weak point and I am always conscious of it when I am running. Still, it reassures me that I can get around a route like this – in much better form than the 9 miler I did last weekend too. I had forgotten how beautiful Hampstead Heath is – I really must try and get some more runs out there – and running the Park Way (from Finsbury Park to Highgate) was much more enjoyable this time around. Here is a pic to show you what I mean:

I’m just about getting over the cold that I had – felt awful yesterday, but a bit better today and I’m not blowing my nose every 5 seconds. I think I will be totally gone in a day or two. I asked Bill Black (the Shelter training guy) about running while ill and he said that the general rule was that if the cold is in your neck or above, you are probably ok, but if it is below that (i.e. in your chest) you probably should rest. Not sure I wholly subscribe to that (my own view is that you shouldn’t run when you are ill), but it gave me the confidence to go out today when I knew I was feeling better and the gamble was probably worth it.

A moderate week ahead – interval training again and a hill run (which I will do on Saturday morning with the club, I think). I wanted to try and do a track session, but I think I am booked Tuesday and Thursday this week – will have to be next week.

Charlie is on his way down to London, and ‘the Lads’ will be reunited tomorrow when Andrew comes over (I have the day off!). I’m really looking forward to seeing them both. Training is like marriage. You have to put a lot of time into it, but it’s not worth losing your friends over.

The top of Hampstead Heath, looking back to Highgate