Day 160: 400 miles down, 600 to go!

RUN: 4.2 miles

Tonight's four miles took me over the 400-mile mark! Hooray!
I'm roughly on track for my target, working on the theory that my first 500 miles will take a bit longer than the second.
I've done an average of 2.5 miles each day, including my rather slow start thanks to the pesky shin splints, and the couple of times I've been ill and had to keep the running to the one-mile minimum.

So I'm just about 36 miles behind target, but I don't think that's anything to worry about.

Tonight's trip down to Menston was another below-zero run. The pavements are sparkly and I have to look out for patches of black ice like this (below), but I'm determined not to be forced on to the gym treadmill just yet. It might come to that if it snows, though. I'd rather be a martyr running outside in the cold rather than watching TV in the comfort of  the gym, but sure it will happen at some point this winter.

Here's today's run

Day 159: Running off into the sunset

RUN: 4.8 miles

After last night's rather chilly evening run, I rushed to make it out before sunset today.
I'm very glad I did because - even though it was still very cold - there were some beautiful scenes.
I took this photo of the white, icy fields lit up by a rainbow sunset through the trees near Thorpe Lane in Guiseley, and thought there might be an even more pretty picture round the corner.

 

And I was right... this is the sunset reflected in the frozen pond at High Royds, with the old hospital clock tower towards the right of the picture.

It's days like this when it's lovely to get out, despite the cold, and just be alone with your own thoughts for a while. I love living in Yorkshire.

Here's today's run

Day 158: Cold enough to make your bum numb!

RUN: 3.2 miles

Brrrrrrrrr!! It's cold out there. My first below-zero run has arrived.
At least it wasn't snowing... but judging by the weather forecast, tomorrow is looking a bit too white for my liking. Fingers crossed we don't see any of the white stuff!

 

I have been getting all wrapped up to run, with running gloves and jacket zipped up to the top, but I'm usually stripped down to vest and leggings after half a mile. Not today.

I felt like a reverse arctic roll - all warm on the inside, cold and numb on the outside.

Here's today's run

Day 157: A lesson in bad timing

RUN: 1.1 miles

I took my friend Emma for a birthday day out in Harrogate today, so a morning run was on the cards - just a quick one-mile scoot round the block early doors.

I misjudged a little bit because I ran by the high school just before 9am, so I was running against the flow of schoolchildren, who are not exactly accommodating when it comes to making room on the path. Lesson learned.

I predict I could be a little sluggish on tomorrow's run since I have eaten more cake today than I've ever eaten in my life. This was due to a combination of a trip to Bettys tearooms and a 'cake tasting' party this evening at my friend Zoe's house - she's just started making and decorating cakes (which I must tell you are amazing, in case you ever need a cake).

Here's today's run

Day 156: Silence is golden after all

RUN: 4.2 miles

In the first few months of running, I worried what was the best music to run to.

I tried fast music, slower music and even working out how many steps I make so I could match my stride to the beats per minute of the music - only to realise I was overthinking the issue and if I tried to run to beats I was only ending up totally out of breath, going faster than I intended to.

Then I tried listening to audio books, which was fine. Although audio books are pretty expensive, and I was getting through one a week.

Now I've taken to listening to... nothing. It's easy to get a good, steady pace and there's nothing to distract you from your thoughts. Plus it helps you concentrate on crossing roads!

A nice quiet run down to JCT600 roundabout and back, tonight. Just four miles.

Here's today's run

Day 155: Six months to marathon day!

RUN: 3.1 miles

It's six months today to the Edinburgh Marathon - yikes!
Here's a video to give us a sneak peek at what's in store along the 26.2-mile route. It's a runner's view of the marathon by a man that took part earlier this year. I'm not very encouraged by the person he filmed collapsed on the side at 2m 24s in the video, but overall the route, support, scenery and flatness (and the weather) looks very nice.

The marathon training schedule starts in January, but today I ran a leisurely 3.1 miles, trying my new favourite route the opposite way round - variety is the spice of life and all that!


Here's today's run

Day 154: Aiming big, achieving small

RUN: 3.7 miles

I set my sights high today, with ambitions of running seven or eight miles, but it wasn't to be. Pretty disappointing.
I'm not sure whether I was not in a winning frame of mind or whether there was something amiss, but after almost three miles, once I reached the top of a big hill, everything told me to go home.

I had a nose bleed (not from the altitude, I'm sure) and I felt absolutely worn out (even though I've run up the hill before and not felt too bad, and I felt good to start with).

Ah well, I'm determined to do the route in full someday soon, and I'm off work this week, so I will conquer this seven/eight miler!

Here's today's run