February 8th - 8 miles
Down the canal to Canary Wharf with Limehouse Basin loops - 8.2 miles / 57:19
Week 2 kicked off in sunshine splendour, perfect weather for a run. I'm still maintaining my usual pace and my legs feel fresh, which should really be the expectation at this early stage. The coming week will be quite comfortable, I'll tick off my runs from the office as per usual, commuting home. So, with a slower trot the aim is to get through the week without any niggles. And obviously, just enjoy running. I'm looking forward to the longer runs and route planning the distance to come.
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| Across the Thames to the city |
FATIGUE FACTOR (1 'A walk in the park' - 10 'Send help') = 2
DAILY DISRUPTION (1 'All in my stride' - 10 'Skipping sleep') = 1
February 9th - 9 miles
Over the bridges of the Thames - 10.1 miles / 1:20:51
Ruddy Monday. Running be the perfect antidote to this groan of a day. The pace certainly dropped tonight, but fret not, this is no sign of a struggle. Rather, my choosing to cross over the river at every bridge. Such was the level of my mind-wandering that I found I racked up quite a distance before turning for home, adding another mile needlessly.
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| The beauty of South London - Views of the North |
So many miles left to run. Knowing what a write-off a post-marathon day is, I sure will be productive at work when we get to the 20+ days! Does Pro Plus dissolve in coffee I wonder?
The neck is offering full motion once again, so I'm back to full strength. I have a renewed respect for bathroom dangers. Towel slow people, towel slow.
FATIGUE FACTOR (1 'A walk in the park' - 10 'Send help') = 1
DAILY DISRUPTION (1 'All in my stride' - 10 'Skipping sleep') = 1
February 10th - 10 miles
Through St. Katherine's and Wapping - 10.1 miles / 1:17:ish
We're in double digits now. Put you're hands up in the air and count those fingers! Unless you've had a workplace accident.
I probably hadn't ran a 10 miler my whole life up until my mid-twenties. It is indeed quite a distance, and I harbour great joy in being able to run it so freely. I never take that fortune for granted. Here we are on day 10 barely scratching the surface of this challenge, and barely concerned about such a measly distance.
On the run home this evening I passed through St. Katherine's Dock and along the 'cloak and dagger' backwaters of the Ornamental Canal. It really is an eerie part of London at night and one is on continual guard from Highwayman.
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| Ornamental Canal - Your money or your life |
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| Shadwell Basin - View back to the city |
To gather the distance I ran through to Docklands before an about-turn for home. Where I ate...lots.
FATIGUE FACTOR (1 'A walk in the park' - 10 'Send help') = 1
DAILY DISRUPTION (1 'All in my stride' - 10 'Skipping sleep') = 1
February 11th - 11 miles
South to Stockwell - 11.4 miles / 1:27:03
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| Looking up on Tower Bridge |
The legs are aching for the first time this month. Pushing off around a corner or running stairs requires a little more effort. Whilst it is permissible to break the distance into separate runs throughout the day, I'm keen to complete all mileage in one stint whilst I have the capabilities to do so.
When I first heard of this challenge, my first thought was "well yeah, I could run 28 miles in an evening" but off the back of ...19, 20...27, 28...well that's just unknown to me.
I'm really intrigued in where I'll be physically and mentally in the days to come, and I look forward to each day, striking off more mileage.
FATIGUE FACTOR (1 'A walk in the park' - 10 'Send help') = 2
DAILY DISRUPTION (1 'All in my stride' - 10 'Skipping sleep') = 1
February 12th - 12 miles
Through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel - 12.2 miles / 1:28:51
I'd wanted to go for a run through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel for some time now - oh, the Bucket List I keep - and measuring out the distance to take it in, I found it fit well with day 12's mileage.
One thing I've learnt thus far is that London is far smaller than you would care to imagine. It doesn't take many miles to slide through a number of different boroughs and pass numerous landmarks. This evening I took in Soho, Westminster, Waterloo, Borough, London Bridge, Bermondsey, Deptford, Greenwich, Millwall, Canary Wharf, Limehouse before home, all in under 90 minutes. Don't you get bored doing all that running, they say. Certainly not.
Tomorrow I'll run a half marathon distance, before Saturday's mid-mark 14 miles. While I'll be halfway through the challenge in terms of days, I'll only have run a quarter of the miles.
Can you tell that I love the maths this challenge also calls for?
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| Tunnelling from Greenwich to Millwall |
FATIGUE FACTOR (1 'A walk in the park' - 10 'Send help') = 2
DAILY DISRUPTION (1 'All in my stride' - 10 'Skipping sleep') = 1
February 13th - 13 miles
Round and round an empty Olympic Park - 13.1 miles / 1:41:03
Being Friday, I schlepped home with the week's jackets, shoes and...I think Monday's socks (by the smell of things). The weather was delightful and I arrived home full of the joys of spring. But there was no time for fiffing and faffing (or even catching up with the girlfriend), having sworn allegiance to RUYD. Run I must.
Pi**ing rain and puddles were on the menu tonight. Not wanting to venture too far I incorporated loops of the local streets before heading to the deserted Olympic Park to mince around. At night there's hardly a soul over there, and to think of the thousands that visited in 2012. There are so many interactive spaces and structures within the park, and the play area particularly is magnificent. I'd be lying if I said I'd never had a cheeky slide under the cover of darkness!
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| What were they thinking? |
The legs feel good, no pains or aggravations of note. Long may that continue, as the mileage on the horizon will be too much for injured limbs.
DAILY DISRUPTION (1 'All in my stride' - 10 'Skipping sleep') = 1
February 14th - 14 miles
Down to the Thames Path - 14.1 miles / 1:44:17
"What are we doing Valentine's Day?" asked the girlfriend. I replied, "Well, I don't know about you but I'll be running. 14 miles".
I jest of course. She would never ask this. Taking part in this challenge has certainly simplified my life. I get up, go to work if it's a week day, if it's not, I don't, and then I go for a run. After I have run I write this little blog update. Other than that, my day is filled with some eating and some sleeping. It has also made small talk a far more entertaining affair, when collared at the coffee machine at work. When asked how my weekend was, or what exactly I will be getting up to that evening, my response is simple, running. If the small talk grows legs (or a substantial period of painful silence has elapsed) resulting into full blown conversation, it will generally end in one of two ways; "oh you'll do it, no problem" or that age-old runner bug bear "are you training for THE marathon then". I tend to leave both unanswered, as I walk away, kissing my teeth.
I digress. Today's run was fairly uneventful (have any been eventful?) with a few 'get the miles in' loops of Limehouse Basin before following the Thames Path around the Isle Of Dogs, taking in the sights of Greenwich o'er the river. I ran past some beautiful beaches (who'd have thought) wondering why we ever holiday abroad.
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| Spot the sofa |
Halfway through, 105 (is that all?) of 406 miles now complete. Feeling good as I head in to week 3 where the after work routes will resemble the fruits of a child's half hour spend on an Etch-a-Sketch®.
Join me tomorrow for the start of Week 3 (on a new blog post).
FATIGUE FACTOR (1 'A walk in the park' - 10 'Send help') = 2
DAILY DISRUPTION (1 'All in my stride' - 10 'Skipping sleep') = 1
you're doing well. i've officially retired from it today so shall follow your progress with interest. good luck
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