New Year - New Challenge

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Denchworth Loop

Distance: 8.39 miles
Time: 1h18m

With only 142 days until my next marathon - it's time to dust off the blog, and keep track of my progress again, now that I'm officially back in training.

In the six months since my last blog entry:
I've run round Monmartre (a hilly few miles up to the Sacré Cœur and back down past the Moulin Rouge)

I've run the Birmingham Half Marathon (with a new PB of 1h50m)

and I've entered the 2010 Edinburgh Marathon.


I needed a challenge to keep me running, and having failed to get into the London Marathon via a ballot entry, I chose Britain's fastest marathon instead. I will do London again one day, but didn't want to run it for charity again this year. Training for a marathon is pretty tough in itself, so trying to raise £1000-£1500 at the same time makes it harder. Especially since I wouldn't want to take the generosity of my friends and family for granted.

So, with a New Year it's back on with my running shoes as I embark upon a new training plan to take me through until May 23rd. I haven't run for a couple of weeks, as I picked up a chest cold, so my last run of 2009 was a 12-miler on 13th Dec in 111 minutes.

Today I fancied a change from the usual 8 mile "square" route, so opted for a new route, a sort out out-and-back one. Out to Park Lane (a couple of miles), turn right, then left to Denchworth (a couple of miles), left and left again back to Park Lane (a couple of miles) and home again. A shade under 8.5 miles.

It was very sunny today, and it looked like a great day to run. So I got kitted out in shorts & just a t-shirt. I swapped back to the trainers I ran the London Marathon in, having just clocked up 500 miles in my other pair. I still have about 50 miles left in my marathon running shoes, but will get a new pair (or two) soon. The weather, though sunny & blue sky in abundance, was cold. Very cold. I set off at a steady-ish pace, and settled into what I hoped would be a good run. Part of me wanted to turn round and go home, because of the cold. And part of me wanted to turn round and go home because maybe 8 miles is too far to be running today? Part of me wanted to do it, and that was the part that won out.

There were a lot of cars out today, and a few horseboxes, and even some horses too. It must be a day for it, I thought. En route to Goosey, I skidded slightly on a patch of ice. Uh-oh. Maybe I should turn round and head back now? It could be a bit dodgy. Nope - I'll just take it easy. Well I'll see how it goes. If there's a lot of ice on the way to Denchworth, then yep - I'd better go back and not risk it. But on the whole the roads improved.

Miles 3 & 4 seemed to pass quickly, and now I'm heading out to the halfway point. I'm into my stride and I'm feeling good. North of Denchworth there are large patches of water, almost all the way across the road. Luckily it's not icy. I pass another runner heading the other way (togged up rather more warmly than I, with leggings, sweatshirt & hat). When I turn left on the road towards Charney Bassett, a chill wind hits my face. Brrrrrr. I must be mad being out today. Still, not long left, only 3 miles or so.

Park Lane comes up, and I feel elated that the run is nearly over, but also a bit tired. And cold. All the Christmas chocolate and new year's eve booze has taken its toll on my stamina. I cross the bridge, less than 2 miles now, and there are more cars. And more cars. Where there were one or two on the way out, there are now dozens. And more horseboxes. I'm guessing a Hunt is out today. To confirm the thought, I hear the unmistakable sound of the horn. Some spectators wish me well as I pass, one of them tells me to speed up, as they (the hunt) are on their way. Half a mile on, and I can hear a horse behind me. I catch a glimpse of its red jacketed rider as I turn my head, and I plod on. A few hundred yards later and something catches my peripheral vision. It's a dog. A light beige hound. Then another, and another. Now I realise that the Hunt is actually upon me, and the pack of dogs is running along with me, and then the lead horse is alongside me too. I don't feel like I'm being a chased, but then again that feeling is not far off! The lead huntsman tells me I'm making a great start to the year, and then 50 yards later he calls to the dogs to make sure they turn off into the field, and leave me to run along the road alone.

I don't know how much faster I was running with the hounds on my heels, not much faster than before - but I think they did keep me running at the same steady speed, where given the choice I think my legs would have been far happier slowing down. Which they do now that I am devoid of my 4-legged pace-setters.

I keep running steadily. ish. Albeit slower now. I can't get indoors quick enough though, to get out of my cold wet t-shirt and get into a hot shower, before pigging out on a large plate of pasta.

So, I'm officially on the road to Edinburgh. Just 20 weeks to go...