Sunday, 13 January 2008

Outdoor run

My first proper run outdoors for ages. It's windy today and was freezing with blue sky and frost yesterday, so I wrapped up in long tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt only to realise it was actually quite warm. Checked RunFinder to remember the routes I saved last year and decided upon Willowbrae Road and round the back of Arthur's Seat on Queen's Drive, which is 6.17 miles with some significant climbing and descent. I had been inspired by Helen's strong finish in yesterday's Great Winter Run - she managed the 5km around the whole of the Drive in under 30 minutes, earning a very cool snowflake-shaped medal.

Looked out my ironman sports watch that Al bought me last year but it had died! Must need a new battery. So I just checked the time when I left and when I got back and I'd managed it in under an hour - about 58 minutes. Which I'm happy with, considering the hill. I probably wouldn't have been under an hour except, as I came up the steepest bit just after the roundabout meeting Queen's Drive, I spotted a long-legged girl speeding away about 100m in front of me. The wind here was head on so I resigned myself to not seeing her again and put my head down and struggled up. When it flattened out I realised she was still 100m in front of me, so decided to see if I could catch her up. With just a little more effort than I would usually put in I did, and passed her at the top loch. Felt very smug, even though when I got closer I realised she was only about 5 foot tall. She was still wearing lots of professional-looking gear! I do need to learn to push myself on these runs, otherwise I just plod along at minimum effort speed, so it was a good tactic to get me going.

Nice to get moving, anyway. Satisfying as it can be to see the kms tick away on the treadmill (and to be able to control my speed), it is still boring. Nothing beats getting from A to B - or n this case from A back to A again - under your own steam.

Away to Angus tomorrow to stay in a cottage we've booked for a short break. The running gear (and surfing gear) will be coming with us.

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