Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep

Mile 1 - 9m10s
Mile 2 - 8m53s
Mile 3 - 8m43s
Mile 4 - 8m47s
Mile 5 - 8m52s
Mile 6 - 8m48s
Mile 7 - 8m36s

Today saw my first run out since the London Marathon. The only exercise I've done since 26th April was a 25 length swim on the following Tuesday. I wanted a complete rest from running, as advised. I'd asked the sports therapist when I had an hour's massage to iron out the kinks in my neck and aches and stiffness in my muscles. Running 26.2 miles took its toll on me, but with her help most of the aches had gone by Wednesday. She suggested 2-3 weeks off to let my body fully recover from the 4½ hours pounding the London streets.

I've been itching to get out running since, it feels so odd to have gone from 4 runs a week for the last 9 months to nothing at all. I got half way through writing up my blog entry for the Marathon, and my laptop broke. It's with the supplier waiting to have its data transferred off before being restreamed. I hope I haven't lost everything...

So, back to today. I had a lazy morning, cooked up some brown spaghetti to have with zapped bolognese for lunch and watched the Grand Prix. At 3pm I got ready to go, and headed out of the door. I'd decided that I wanted to go for a proper run out in the countryside, rather than laps of the village, as it would give me more purpose, and I wouldn't feel like wimping out after just a few miles.

I chose the 8 mile route and set off. The birds were cheeping, and soon I was running in the middle of the road (where I could) to avoid the camber at the edge. A mile in and I realised I'd made a huge mistake. I hadn't used any bodyglide or tape to prevent chaffage. See? This is what happens when you get out of routine! There's no way I'd make it round over 5 miles without getting sore nips, and could imagine the bleeding that 8 miles would bring. There was only one solution, off with the t-shirt!

As usual, I thought I'd set off too fast. Could I keep up a 9ish minute pace for 8 miles? Well, we'll see. Will I make 8 miles? Not sure. I can always turn back, but once I'm out over 3 miles away from home I'd have to choose as before long the only way back would be to cover the full distance. I was a bit amazed to see that I'd sped up for miles 2 & 3. Yep, I can go the distance. My pace over the whole run was pretty consistent too. I was running faster than usual, as I was just so happy to be out running again.

Things went well right up until Mile 7, when I got a stitch. I eased off a little, and ran up to the village sign. Well chuffed to have made it round 7 miles in just over an hour. At this point I decided this was enough for my first run, and I'd simply walk the last mile back home through the village, to warm down. Ok 7 miles wasn't quite what I'd planned when I set out, but it was still more than the 6 miles that I'd hoped to do when I decided to run this weekend.

I'm busy next weekend, so no long run to look forward too, but I reckon I'll be heading out for some lunchtime runs now that I'm back in training. Training for what? I don't know yet. I'll find something soon so I have a new goal to aim for. A sub 2-hour half marathon in the summer I think...

Oh, and the title of this blog entry is thanks to the song going through my head. It was number 1 the week I was born. If I'd entered the world just one day later - it would have been Get It On by T.Rex