Downs and Ups

After a bonkers weekend involving a fabulous Thanksgiving feast with friends, a second feast courtesy of our amazing parish lunch team, and a day of singing a two and a half octave range (ouch), this morning started on a rather sad note.  I don't want to mention names (as this blog is supposed to be reasonably anonymous) but one of the really inspiring runners on the Good Run Wall is suffering from a very painful recurring injury that may put her out of the game for a long time or indeed permanently.  This person has been an inspiration to us all, not just me - as is her non-facebooking husband - as both have overcome so many challenges in the last few years, and although I totally understand her decision to leave the wall because of all the running posts - I will really miss her, her stories, and her support.

Sad Mousie 

The crazy weekend had also left me (even more) knackered and with a splitting head - so was half planning on using my gym pass for the Carlton to go and enjoy treadmills and saunas - but I want to be awake enough to enjoy that so decided on a circular route instead.  Once I got out the door it took about 2 or 3 mins to relax into the run (which is admittedly much better than it used to be!) and I decided to go for the longer of two possible routes I had considered which would take me round the park via Duddingston and then back up the wonderfully-named Innocent Railway.

However, when I got round to Duddingston (and after a weekend of rich food) I was beginning to feel like the dreaded gingerbread man was in possibility of making a visit, so I decided to change my route to head to Morrisons and its bathrooms! Nearly changed my mind again at a crossroads and was considering the possibility of continuing to Portobello - although that would have required a rather longer walk back.

Despite the dodgy tummy, I didn't really feel like stopping running - really felt today like I was getting into some kind of flow.  So once I had made a quick stop in Morrisons, and another quick one in a newsagents to top up my gas and electricity cards (hence some rather short laps in the middle of the Garmin stats) I ran most of the way home: making a 50 ish minute run rather than the planned 35.  Feeling pretty good for it, even if I can't really count it as 50 mins solid running, and I was definitely getting tired by the end. Also got the odd niggle: an annoying blister on the underside of my right foot (which might be sock related), and my right knee has started aching a touch since I started writing this post.  Don't think either are anything serious, but I will be careful on my next two runs just to make sure.

This is also the first ever run that I've done where every single other runner I have passed has returned my nod of hello: even though that's only 3 people, it's still better than previous experience!

For some reason GRG stats are a wee bit different to the Garmin ones (by 0.04 of a mile) - although I'm wondering if the GRG ones are done off the map plotting rather than the satellite. However, it's still rather nice to get close to the 5 mile mark again for the first time in a long time. Onwards through Week 9 of training ... 146 days to the VLM (and only 55 to my half avec Grandad).