Ah yeah, so that random wiggle at the end... Today was the second national Run2Work Day and I was very pleased that the weather, whilst not as nice as yesterday, which would have been perfect for running to work, was a great deal nicer than June the 5th, which had been decidedly wet and muddy! I am extremely lucky in that it is less than a mile from my house to the Ashton Canal, on to which I can easily drop down from the road and whizz along to... erm... well, Ashton. Which is where I work. Wouldn't really be running to work if I didn't now, would it? It turns out public transport isn't the only thing you can 'miss a stop' on though and aside from all the mud, the hiccup last time was that I turned off the canal a bit too early, confused myself and got ever-so-slightly-lost before eventually finding my way. It wasn't a huge diversion but not the sort of stress you want before a full day of teaching... It also sent me off onto a route where I'd had to run up the central reservation of a dual carriage way, which is less than safe. This time I was feeling very proud of myself when I kept going past the point of confusion, only to discover that I had then gone too far instead and was well on my way to Stalybridge! One day, I would like to run to Stalybridge, but not when I have arranged a 9am meeting with my new manager. Thankfully, Northern Folk are a friendly bunch and I was able to get directions which took me back onto my planned route thus avoiding scary roads and getting to work with enough time to shower, breakfast and still have time to check emails! I'm not sure if it was the impending meeting or the breakfast calling that encouraged me to run an average of about 8 minute miles but that seemed a reasonable speed for the distance. I love the bemused manner in which people give you directions when you're out running, especially when to their mind you're quite a long way away from your destination. As it is, I'm used to people thinking I'm a bit odd so this doesn't phase me, otherwise I might have ended up in Huddersfield. It finished up being 9.44 miles today thanks to that little diversion but that's OK, I wasn't late and it was an enjoyable mile!
On a route like this, why wouldn't you run to work? Last month, I was a lot more worried about actually making it to work; the fact that the students have finished now and it's only staff development, meetings and planning (Hah.'Only.') made it lot less stressful. It being my second time on the route helped too so it felt like much less of a mental challenge. Because of this worry on June 5th, I completely forgot to take any photos (I don't really like stopping anyway) so the only visual records of the event were a rainy pre-run view of Manchester from my flat and a couple of euphoric if muddy selfies (ugh) in the college gym shower room! This time you get some snaps to illustrate exactly why I think I'm so lucky with the route. Though admittedly I elected to avoid the more industrial sections of the canal, they are still just as interesting to run past! Maybe I'll get some of those next time! All in all, A pretty text book run, all things considered, though I became a little concerned at about 10am when I realised I'd been so busy getting to my meeting that I'd not stretched! I took a 15 minute walk at lunchtime though which seemed to help loosen up what had become 'joint of ham' legs. I forgot to leave my compression socks at work too so I went hard core and left it to chance! Having said that, in June I'd come second in a 5k race the night before and this time I actually took a rest day (well.. I did a yoga class but that doesn't count, right?) so I probably had less to recover from anyway.
| No saved money today as I have a season ticket this month but that's not really the point is it!? I also still found it a little strange to be preparing Thursday's breakfast on Tuesday night so I could leave it in the 'fridge on Wednesday and I had to check about 5 times before leaving yesterday that the right things (house key, work key, train ticket, wallet, clothes, towels, etc.) were in the right places but it seems I navigated all that safely. That's the only bit that makes it complicated really, the level of planning required, otherwise I'd do it more often. I won't be in work for the next one (7th of August) and I'm not sure how practical the September date will be as first week of term is manic enough as it is but I think I might try running home one night next week. All I have to do then is take in my kit, change in the loo and pick my stuff up the next day, which seems to cut out a lot of aggro. I'm less likely to get lost at the other end too! If that works then I might do that in September instead. In fact, it occurred to me that if I did it on the right day, I could jump off the canal at Sports City and use it as a warm up for the Salford Harriers Tuesday track session! Now that's a plan! | 
Almost at Ashton (approaching the Portland Basin)
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Return to the Boggart's Clough Hole!
| Speaking of which, Thursday is Club Run night from the Blue Bell for the Salford Harriers and I was keen not to miss tonight, having missed last week due to the Todmorden 5k and so It's just as well I hadn't totally knackered myself. I've heard running twice a day is something quite a lot of people do anyway so I decided to suck up any worries or aches and just get on with it! Thankfully, Jen, who suggested I join the Harriers in the first place, was able to get back in time to give me a much appreciated lift. Though there is a bus from outside my flat directly to the club house, a lift and a natter is always nicer. We got a bit left behind by the group tonight though and had forgotten to ask where we were going so we ended up forking left so we didn't get lost and making our way back to Boggart Hole Clough for a couple of laps before returning to the club house. Everyone had left already so it's just as well I had already managed to get one of the committee members to sign my application form for the Leadership in Running Fitness course I hope to do in September, else I'd have had to wait until Tuesday! |
So an interesting experiment that paid off. That's the first time I've covered more than 17 miles on a work day! I am also quite pleased to find that my legs feel less tired after the evening run than they did before (or for that matter during!!) it. I think I get now how the whole running twice a day thing could be beneficial. Not sure it'll become part of my training plan though!
Hill Rep Friday tomorrow, but I'm wondering if I should sneak in another speed interval session instead in preparation for the next 10k race in just over a week! Decisions, decisions!
Hill Rep Friday tomorrow, but I'm wondering if I should sneak in another speed interval session instead in preparation for the next 10k race in just over a week! Decisions, decisions!
