I've left myself 5 days to catch up on. Following my last entry, Ruth and I had a very enjoyable New Year's Eve with friends. I have to report that even I was defeated by the amount of food available. It was looking like we'd still be eating one of the two deserts at midnight. Fortunately, we finished eating in time to switch on Jools Holland for the countdown to midnight. Strangely, the conversation completely dried up when Kylie appeared. On T.V. that is, not at our party. That would have been a massive surprise.
It's a definite sign of your age when you realise that you drank more champagne than beer at a party. I was way more restrained than my friends, but managed to get through two beers, one margarita and five or six glasses of champagne. It must also be a sign of my maturity that I'm willing to admit to it.
Anyway, the following day, on New Year's Day itself, I ran 8.75 miles from my home in central Cambridge out to Comberton to collect my car. This had me running on new territory, which is always nice. My run took me close to the city centre, which was eerily quiet. Especially after the madness of the post Christmas sales. It felt like a really nice time to be out running. I always get a lot of pleasure running down streets that are usually busy and having them to myself. The character of the place is completely different.
My intention had then been to run 20 miles on Sunday and have a massive chill out day on the Bank Holiday Monday. However, my head conspired against me by throwing a massive migraine at me just 30 minutes after getting out of bed. I rarely get migraines, maybe three a year, but when I do they tend to be completely debilitating. All I can do is crawl in to bed in a dark room and try to sleep. So that was that day wiped out. As were my plans for a relaxing day on Monday. Being ill in bed is not the same thing.
So on Monday I was up early to do a solo 20 mile run. I planned to do a circuit that I'd only done once before with a group of friends. When we did it as a group it was the first time that anyone else had done this particularly circuit, so there was a degree of consultation on the move. I was hoping I'd remembered all the turning points correctly. There was only one dodgy moment where I was running along a long, flat, straight, featureless Fenland road for over a mile and I was convinced that I'd missed the turn off on to a bridleway. I was contemplating turning round just as I spotted a bridleway sign off in the distance, which turned out to be the correct path. Just goes to show that when you're running with friends it does make the run seem shorter, because that particularly road definitely felt a lot longer when I was on my own. However, whilst I was running along that road my path was crossed by four deer. Looked like two stags chasing two doe. So that added some excitement to the run. Actually, I have to say that the run was very pleasant. The weather was fairly mild, especially considering the big freeze we'd experienced prior to Christmas, and I felt in great form. The last quarter of the run is on the River Cam tow path, which is great for running on. I was able to increase my pace for a couple of sub 6'45" miles at the end of the run, overtaking about 6 other runners in the process. Not that I felt smug or anything.
Tuesday saw me back to work as usual. I ran my weekly massage clinic during the day, catching up with a client who is looking forward to her first London marathon. In the evening I met with a personal training client who is also training for London. This should be his fourth London, and he is hoping for a p.b. under my guidance. No pressure on me to deliver.
Today I ran two kettlebell classes. I made use of one to have a good workout myself. Doing plenty of kettlebell swings and snatches to work the core and fire up the glutes and hamstrings. In the evening I was back to coaching the Sweaty Betty Running Club. Obviously, this is a massive chore. Meeting with a bunch of women each week, having to listen to them jabber about shoes and handbags, whilst I try to encourage them through an intense interval training session. I try to use the session as a way to get in an extra run myself. It doesn't always work, but today I was able to run to the shop from home, take the ladies out for their session, then take a little detour on my run home so that I clock up a run over 10 miles. It's actually a great pleasure coaching the ladies, and one of my weekly highlights. It's not a bad life being a personal trainer and fitness nut. I'm trying to convince some of the ladies to enter the Cambridge Boundary Half Marathon on February 27. Although it will be a very good goal for them, and I think you should support your local runs, it'd also be nice if they could be present when I complete my second marathon of the year. Don't tell them I said that.
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