Saturday, August 04, 2012

Day 41: Quitters don't look like Jessica Ennis

RUN: 5.9 miles

Well here I am sat in Roberts Park in Saltaire on a beautiful sunny day. I'm having a little rest half way through my run from Baildon to here, and back along the canal.

Here's a little video of what I can see now. The bell ringers are practicing at the United Reformed Church and there are plenty of people playing in the park and a cricket game in the distance, as well as people drinking and eating outside the Boathouse pub across the river.


It's very warm and I must admit I thought about cutting my run short (well, to four miles rather than six).
I stopped under a bridge - probably looking like a sweaty, red-faced troll - felt a bit sick and really wanted to turn back. But I didn't.


Quitters do not get to look like Jessica Ennis (who is about to win gold in the London Olympics triathlon). Quitters also don't reach their goal of running 1,000 miles in a year.
I have to run back yet, though. Here it goes...

Part two
Well I made it. 5.9 miles - my longest run yet.
I'm no Olympian, but I am quite proud of today's run. It was a very nice day on the canal, too.

Here's my route and graphs and all that stuff

Friday, August 03, 2012

Day 40: Running... out of time

RUN: 1.0 miles

Today I returned to the old one-mile route - but it was down to bad planning rather than bad legs.
I'm on a late shift at work today, and after a rather late night last night I decided to have a bit of a lie-in and then chill out reading my book.
Well time ran away with me and I left it just too late to run any sort of distance.
It's probably for the best, though, since I'm planning quite a long one for tomorrow. Watch this space.
Here's the map and details for that well-trodden one-miler

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Day 39: Getting the figures right

RUN: 1.4 miles

Just a mile and a bit around the block today.
If you're wondering why my runs are sometimes in very convenient round numbers, it's partly down to route planning and partly down to a bit of rounding off.
Of course I don't add on any distance that I haven't run (hell, no!) but if I get back and the clock is on 1.98 miles, say, I just run up and down outside home a few times to saves losing that precious tenth of a mile!
So if you see me running backwards and forwards like a loon, you know I'm just rounding off my route.
Here's all the maps and graphs for today.

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Day 38: Note to self - must eat better

RUN: 2.0 miles

I'm on a late shift at work today, so I went out this lunchtime to put in a few miles.
I must admit, I did not want to put on my running gear and leave the house, let alone put one foot in front of the other.
But, that's what this is all about - motivation. I would never have gone out on one single run if I wasn't doing it for a good cause. And I wouldn't have chosen this challenge if it was going to be a piece of cake.

Speaking of cake... I know the reason I felt so sluggish this morning was down to my poor eating habits over the past few days. I've skipped lunch and eaten junk.
I partly blame my mum. Last night she made me eat fish and chips for tea. I've eaten more fish and chips in the last 38 days than I have in the past five years! Must do myself a favour and get back on the veg.
Mind you, having thought about this all the way round my run, the first thing I did when I got back was open a nice cold Coke from the fridge (how did that get there?)

As I type, this message is staring up at me from the cover of a magazine on the coffee table.

Too true

Anyway, here's my route and info from today. Note I did stop twice. No more chips!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Day 37: A couple of laps of Lister Park, Bradford

RUN: 2.4 miles

Today I went to Lister Park, Bradford, on my way home from work. It's where they do the Bradford Race For Life, so I thought I'd give it a try.
I parked up near Cartwright Hall (below), down towards the boating lake and back round - twice.


There were a few people around, walking and hanging about in the park, but the weather was pretty grim, so it was quite quiet. It was nice weather for ducks (or even geese) but even they didn't seem too impressed as I passed the boating lake, trying to avoid slipping on the wet concrete.


I'm more than ten per cent of the way into my challenge now, so should - technically, ideally - have done 100 miles by now. I've done 71.8. Not too bad. I'll keep stepping it up.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Day 36: A fine few miles before tea

RUN: 2.0 miles

This evening I went out for just a couple of miles straight after work.

I'm not aiming for speed really, but the quicker I run, the better. Anything less than 10 mins per mile is a good run at this stage, I think. So today's pace - 9m 7s per mile wasn't bad.

I think I was spurred on by my rumbly tum. It doesn't help that within 100 yards of our front door we have a pub, a Subway, an Indian restaurant, a Chinese takeaway and a big fish and chip restaurant/takeaway. There seems to be temptation and lovely foody smells everywhere I run, especially at teatime while all the cooking smells are drifting out from people's kitchens and everyone seems to be tucking in while I'm plodding along.

Hunger aside, I felt reasonably good tonight - just two miles, so not overdoing it!
I really want to start going further more often. I might just give it a go, shin splints or no shin splints. Grr!
Here's my (familiar) route and info from this evening.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Day 35: More than four miles!

RUN: 4.4 miles

After returning from camping tonight I (surprisingly) felt quite good as I set out on my run towards the centre of Guiseley. So when I got there, I just carried on to the retail park. Then when I got there I just carried on to Yeadon, and then the JCT600 roundabout. Then I thought I'd better go home.
So almost four and a half miles, and I feel just fine. Quite pleased with that. I didn't even stop, other than to look around and decide I was going to turn back.
My time was not too shabby either, actually, all considered - 9m 38s per mile. Quite good, for me.
I'm icing the shins now so I'll hopefully be able to walk tomorrow. Watch this space

All the top Olympians use tea towels to secure their ice packs, you know

Here's my route and info for today's run