Stability Through Motion

Back up to the magic twenty milers at last. Definitely good to stop running at the end, but the legs felt fine, it was more the fuel that ran out - powered only by dried mangoes and a few swigs of water! So far today though I’ve ploughed my way through 8 scones and two helpings of lunch.

The trip: up the canal to the first bridge beyond Pigeon Lock (10 miles) and back. I did this trip last October in 2h 50m, today it was 2h 45m - 1:24 out, 1:21 back. Lots of mud, but no flood, thank goodness. The Cherwell alongside was flowing madly and mudly. Fishermen all along the route lined up some great hurdles for me, and all in all, apart from the flatness of it all, it was a great run. Once you get past Kidlington it’s a very pretty route, and past the Kirtlington golf course on the way to Rousham, almost deserted.

Shoes: Saucony Trigon Grid thingies - which held up well on the squelchy towpath and produced no blisters.

After all these weekend adventures, Saturday’s long run was straight out the back door and up the canal for a change. No hills, no scenery (well, north of Kidlington it gets quite pretty), but just as importantly no map reading in the rain, no nettles and no driving.

I managed, too, to finally try out the ‘fast finish’ tip that I think Macmillan recommends. It went well - though I didn’t quite manage marathon pace at the end. So, 1:30 out to a bridge beyond Kirtlington Golf Course and Tackley, 1:22 back. I’m not printing a map this time, as it was a pretty straightforward route, but for the curious . . . 

Going along a quiet familiar route at least meant I could catch up with my radio listening. Saturdays are pretty safe on the towpath - it’s clear of commuter bikes and of fisherfolk.

Sunday I even managed a recovery run, 5 miles easy paced around the Parks.

This week is now the last of hard training before the tapering begins.  Only one more seriously long run, 22 miles on Saturday, and I’m planning a South Downs route to get me some more hills.