47˚ le soir

Distance: 1.6km
Time: 10m35s

Yep, 47˚ in the sun, that's 116.6˚F ... the air conditioning in the car managed to get it down to 37˚ by the time we'd got to my starting point, then I got out into the oven baking heat of the late afternoon sun. There was a pleasant breeze, however, so the run wasn't unbearable, but now and then when the wind dropped I got a mouthful of hot air. Phew! Scorchio!!

Slower or plus vite?

Distance: 1.6km
Time: 10m20s

I set off today feeling a bit sleepy after a late afternoon siesta. According to the car it was still 37˚ outside, but it felt cooler in the shade. I set off my run at what I thought was a more relaxing pace than yesterday, but when I got to Puy l'Eveque I'd only been running for 10 minutes and 20 seconds... so it was faster yet felt slower!

Bonjour mes amis!

Distance: 1.6km
Time: 10m48s

Zut alors, Je suis en France! Un autre jour, un autre pays.... I was going to do this whole post in French, but in deference to anyone reading this, and the fact my French isn't as good as it used to be, it'll be quicker all round to stick to l'Anglais! Dad drove me about 1.5 miles away from their house, along Rue des Balmes and left me to run back. It's about a mile to Puy l'Eveque so I ran that in a little under 11 minutes, and then I cooled off with a half mile stroll back to the house again. It's wonderfully sunny here around 30 degrees in the shade, and very peaceful running alongside the vineyards.

Road Runner

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 10m25s

Back to pounding the pavement today, after a couple of days off to get over the very tiring trip back from India. I wonder how my legs will fair now I'm back to road running after the relative soft surface of the running machine in the hotel. Another day off tomorrow, another day's travelling. Hopefully I'll find somewhere quiet to run in France, so I can keep up the good work from Wednesday onwards when I'm away on hols.

Last Indian run

Distance: 1200m
Time: 7m30s

Today I went for a more leisurely 9.4kmph, which would be the pace to run a marathon (42k) in 4½ hours. This brings my total distance in India to 6¾ miles... so I've done 10k over here in 9 runs in 11 days.

Next stop France!
(after a relaxing bank holiday weekend in blighty)

No harthal at the hotel

Distance: 1200m
Time: 6m48s

There may be a national strike in India today, but the running machine is still running in the hotel. An aggressive 10.5kmph saw my best time over the three quarter mile. Last one down here tomorrow (power cuts permitting).

Two runs and three curries...

Distance: 1200m
Time: 6m54s

Today I had curry for breakfast, curry for lunch and am off for curry for dinner...
And on top of this morning's early run, I managed another quick one this evening at a decent 10.4kmph steady run! Perhaps that earns me a day off tomorrow?

Up with the larks (or rather the aircon)

Distance: 1200m
Time: 6m55s
The air conditioning in my room rudely awoke me at 6.10am today, so I took the opportunity to get up and get going on the running machine. My timing was perfect as five minutes later I think the machine would have been nabbed by another hotel resident. 7 minutes and ¾ mile later I was heading back to my room for a shower...

A mile and a swim

Distance: 1600m
Time: 10m59s
After a leisurely relaxing Sunday in the countryside, visiting the parents of the colleague I'm training in India, I managed to persuade myself to get straight on with a run when we got back, otherwise I think I would have just flaked out after a shower. Once the mile run had invigorated me, I decided to try out the hotel pool on the roof! Very pleasant, and I managed about 12-15 lengths before dusk set in about 6.45pm.

Day off tomorrow, so back running on Tuesday (hectic social commitments permitting!)

Is anybody there?

Distance: 1200m
Time: 7m02s
After a long day's shopping all over Trivandrum, and a short scary walk down a busy rush hour road (!) I nipped off to the gym this evening to get in a quick run before being taken out by senior Indian management (the person in my team who I'm training's boss's boss's boss). After the 1st lap at 10kmph I upped the pace a bit and beat my best time out here by a second. A longer slower mile planned tomorrow..

A good day's exercise

Distance: 1200m
Time: 7m08s
It started off well with a walk round the elephant safari... ok, so the elephant did the walking!
Then after lunch we played beach cricket with the guys from the India office. Our team won, and yours truly scored the winning run!
Finally back at the hotel, and I nipped up to the gym for another run. 5 seconds slower than yesterday, but this time I ran at a steady 10kmph instead of yesterday where I ran a bit faster, then slower then faster again.
PS. Did I say we won the cricket?

Morning Runner

Distance: 1200m
Time: 7m03s

So I got up this morning bright and early to have a run in the hotel gym... 6.45am (that's a quarter past two to you folks in the UK), but there was someone on the running machine already. Boo!

This evening upon returning to the hotel I was adamant that I'd get a run in today and managed three quarters of a mile at a very respectable shade over 7 minutes! Out and about for the next 3 days as it's Indian Independence Day tomorrow... but hope to fit something in when I can!!

1st run in Asia

Distance: 800m
Time: 7m29s

A nice gentle jog today on the running machine in the hotel "gym" (a small room which consists of a running machine; rowing machine; cycle and a small weights machine). Luckily it was empty at 6.50am so I had the place to myself to try to work out how to use the runner. It had lots of features about body weight, types of training, target time, target calories, incline running and so on. In the end I chose "quick start" and set the machine going at 6.3 mph which I felt was a gentle jog. 2 laps of the 400m circuit (signified by lights following an oval shape in the centre of the display) and I thought that was probably enough for today. Then I realised that I'd actually only run half a mile, and at a pace much slower than I usually accomplish out on the road at home. Oh well, at least I know how it works, and I can up the pace tomorrow, and aim to complete 1200m instead (¾ mile).

Back to running a mile

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 11m13s

This week's "long" run was a mile, something I've been building up and looking forward to for a few weeks now. Next week I hope to be increasing my short 0.6 mile runs up a bit too, but I'll have to see if there's a working running machine in my hotel in India!

Half way to Loch Lomond

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m33s

I've just clocked up 200 miles since I started this running lark last October. I wonder when I'll reach the 300m mark?

I can't stand the rain, against my window

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m53s

A bit slower again this evening, but it's good to mix up my pace. Just glad it wasn't lashing it down like it was when I left work, and tried to navigate the A34 canal to Abingdon...

Day off again tomorrow, so back at it on Thursday.

It's ordered :)

Distance: 1.5 miles

Time: 5 minutes

I took my new bike out for a test ride today, to check that the 20" version is right for me (I'd tried out the 22" model on Saturday). It's on order and once the paperwork is sorted I shall pick it up next month and can then enjoy many miles of fast, fun, fitness...

Why can't men multitask?

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m29s

Having stayed late at work 'cos it's very busy, I got in late and was toing and froing: sorting the post out, putting the shopping away, turning the laptop on so it could virus check itself whilst I was out, nipping to the loo, getting changed for my run, putting the dinner in the oven to cook, and then off out the door. I was quite pleased I'd managed to get so much done in such a short space of time. Until I got back from my run and realised I hadn't turned the cooker on. D'oh!

I've ordered my new bike today! I should get it next month. I'm as happy as a pig in a muddy puddle :)

Where did summer go?

Distance: 0.8 miles
Time: 8m16s

A bit gloomy, a bit windy, a bit rainy. Still at least it's not baking hot I suppose. But then even it it were gloriously sunny running for less than 10 minutes wouldn't wear me out anyway. Next weekend I'll be running a mile on Saturday (a change from the norm as I fly out to India the next day). Back to the short runs this week, and then next week I may increase them slightly (running machine in the hotel gym permitting!)

A short slow one

Distance: 0.6 miles
Time: 5m52s

It's the end of the week, but I dragged myself out for another short run. Not fast, but not meant to be. As long as I get out running as often as I can then that's what matters.

Dagnabbit!

Distance: about 5 miles
Time: about 25 minutes

I dusted off my bike this morning, stuck it in the back of the car and set off to work. At Steventon (2.5 miles away from RM) I parked the car up, got my bike out and rode off in the other direction the ~5 mile journey the long way round (the flat way!) The shorter route means cycling up and down a big hill and across a busy roundabout. Not something I want to attempt until I'm a bit fitter.

From home to work it's a 12.5 mile ride (15 the flat way). Not a ride I'll be attempting every day, nor one to do the whole distance. Not until I'm a bit fitter. Do you see a theme here? In September I'm planning to drive half way / cycle half way, and by next year maybe up to the full distance.

All was going well this morning until I got to Milton village (about ⅔ of the way). The wind against me had picked up, slowing me down to barely 10mph and my back tyre was making more and more of a rumbling sound ... as my tyre became less and less inflated. By the time I got to Milton Park I was knackered and cycling on a completely flat back wheel. Darn. I don't think I'll be riding back to Steventon after work!

Then to top it all, I must have sat on my cateye computer, or someotherhow squashed its buttons when I was getting changed - resetting my time, distance and average speed for the trip. Oh well, it wasn't the most impressive bike ride I've done. Tomorrow I'm off to hunt down a new bike, one that will be a joy to ride and one that will get me to work on a regular basis (from an increasing distance away from the office), thus getting me fit and reducing my petrol costs dramatically!