Week of Doubles

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2217235
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 35 minutes
Comments: Really quite warm, overcast autumn day. The ground in the park is covered with yellow leaves, however the trees are still not fully bare.

I have worked a week of double shifts as Kev has been on holiday, however I am off all next week. Nearly did 2k yesterday, most I have done on my own!!

Basically work has got in the way of running that is why there has been a gap of a week. Even though I am off next week I am not sure how much I will fit in as I am off up to Nottingham to see Julia and Ant, and his new business. I am then off to the TT Brewery to see Nick B. All good fun.

Oh and the run was tiring but it felt controlled. Still no faster, but feeling good

Back to the Beginning

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2386473
Distance: 2.8 miles
Time: 28 minutes
Comments: Had a lovely weekend in Cirencester with J & A. It was great to get out the city and see some really awesome Autumnal colours.

Got back and really fancied blowing away the cob webs with a run. It was really windy so I decided to do a short old route and got blown away running in to a head wind all along Chelsea Embankment

This route was the first run I did with Marie through Battersea park

Twice around the Park

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2386442
Distance: 4.6 miles
Time: 48 minutes
Comments: Twice around the park, I was hoping for 5 miles. It certainly felt like that. However as it turns out it wasn't

Next time I will go over Chelsea Bridge and back over the Albert Bridge, I think this will be 5 miles

Really Dark

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2366792
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 40 minutes
Comments: Worked an early today, went shopping in Wandsworth Waitrose as I had the car and then went for a run. Did the figure 8 around Battersea park and it was really dark and a little bit scary. I think next time I will stick to the main paths with lights

All in all a good run though

Feeling Better

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2366792
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 40 minutes
Comments: The new style is feeling a lot more natural now. Much more circular and cycle like; and it is taking much less concentration. Weather is rubbish, grey and about 10 degrees.

I am feeling better in more ways than one. After a very long day at a christening in Sevenoaks on Sunday I am physically and psychologically feeling recovered. Binging is not good

Same Route, New Style - Feeling Better

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2217235
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 35 minutes
Comments: Normal route, new style and it really was feeling much better. Less concentration and more enjoyment of the running

Looking forward to getting back out soon

Round the Park

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2366792
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 40 Minutes
Comments: Really cold this morning, clear skies and almost icy. I was too cold and far to bored to do the usual route so I ran around the park instead of going across the river to Chealsea Embankment.

The new running style is staring to feel a bit more normal. I am just finding it difficult to run at a slower pace with it. However this may be the point

Keep Trying

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2217235
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 35 minutes
Comments: I am finding this difficult but I am going to stick with it as I am sure that it will feel better.

I am just pleased to have got out twice this week as I am meeting my dad tonight to go too the RAH to see John Scott play the organ. Giles is staying on Thursday and I am then off too Newcastle on Friday to record with the band

New Technique

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2217235
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 35 minutes
Comments: Usual route but unusual style. Having read some of the Rough Guide to Running I have adjusted my running style

I think I have basically been over striding, a lot, in order to try to gain more speed. Now however, I am concentrating on my push off and increasing my turn over of steps, whilst also trying to make my running action more like I am cycling

This was all hard work and took a lot of concentration, not much fun, and my legs are aching

Tennis - Not so good

G & I were back on the courts this morning.

It was good fun but we were rubbish. We knocked up a bit and then played a set. Neither of us could hold serve. When it got to 6 - 5, G was the winner.

Again, again

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2217235
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 35 mins
Comments: Back out again, it was hard but I now feel better for it. Same route as yesterday 1 minute faster!! Not much, but still faster.

Really nice weather, bright but cool and loads of sun.

Back pounding the ground

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2217235
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 36 minutes
Comments: The old faithful route, it was hard work but great to get out again. Tennis again on Sunday!!

It's been a while

Well that's what happens when you come back from holiday, to much work and not enough play!!

Still, played tennis with G tonight in Battersea Park tonight, a new experience. Tennis under flood lights, and I won!!

Really good work out we were both exhausted.

Get Shorty

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2218393
Distance: 2.9 miles
Time: 30 mins
Comments: A nice short Saturday run with G around Battersea park. There is nothing better to make yourself feel more righteous than getting up early on a weekend and going for a run. It feels as though there is a bond on smugness among the other keep fitters as we pass each other panting & sweating

Back in Battersea

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2217235
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 35 mins
Comments: Back running in Battersea Park, no bad thing, but it is not the same as running around the Northumbrian coast or body boarding in the North Sea

The really good thing about it was that the run went well, even if it is still to bloody hot and humid down here

Last Dip

Last day before we head off down to Doncaster for the welcome Keat bash and again the weather is terrible

We held out all day for the rain to stop & after eating all day, it did at 4:30ish.

Body boards in the back of Nick's 4x4, Andrea, G & I are going to Bamburgh beach in the mist and cold again. Surf looked great, however it was full of jelly fish. We go to Beadnell Bay, no surf, but no Jelly fish. We swim again for about 35 minutes - freezing but again revived

I am really going to miss the Sea back in London

Snorkeling

Chris the fish does more than run these days. Body boarding, swimming & now snorkeling.

It wasn't exactly Thailand at Beadnell Bay, but I did see a pipe fish being eaten by a brown crab which was quite exciting.

40 mins in the water and I was ready to die of the cold - chips on the way home from Lewis's, just the job.

All this exercise and the waistline is still going the wrong way!!

No Run

No run today, the weather has been miserable.

However after the weekend at Hale Hill and a long trip back on the train to Berwick with Brett on Sunday many cobwebs needed blowing away.

G & I went body boarding in the mist and rain below Bamburgh Castle. Another hour well spent. Very cold but feeling better we retreated back to the van.

Same Again - Run & Swim

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2216246
Distance: 1.9 miles
Time: 25 mins run & 1hr body boarding
Comments: Run down to the beach again. Lovely weather, great surf & even better friends.

Ruth, Brett, Keat & Earl came down from Edinburgh last night and stayed over before the Doncaster band practise. Also we all met up with Lucy & George last night, we came 3rd in the pub quiz at the middle!! Amazing!! Even more amazing was that we got up this morning!!

The North Sea works its magic again.

Run & Swim

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2216246
Distance: 1.9 miles
Time: 20mins run, 1hr body boarding
Comments: Nice short morning run down to the beach and an hours body boarding, what a hangover cure. The North Sea really does have restorative properties!!

Really good night last night in the Loughs van, Nick & Andrea showed up late with an even later apperance from a solo Mr Black. Really good to see him again.

Finished Strong

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2216216
Distance: 6.9 miles
Time: 1hr 10mins
Comments: After yesterdays slightly tame and feeling fat effort today was brilliant. After a day in the Toon and a hearty lunch in Fenwicks Cafe 21 with G & Parents I decided I had to run it off.

I felt terrible for most of the run except the last 25 minutes. Great route and a great run.

Feeling the Holiday Fat

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2216158
Distance: 2.3 miles
Time: 35 mins
Comments: Very slow indeed. Went with G on a morning run. Only a couple of days in to the holiday and there has been far too much enjoying ourselves already.

Still, we both feel a little better for going out. I put in a couple of sprinting loops to get the heart rate and distance up a little.

Humid!!

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2146595
Distance: 3.8 miles
Time: 39 mins
Comments: No sun at all, but still about 24c. Very Humid and sticky.
There was no behaving myself at the weekend, 7 o'clock on Sunday morning. Victoria Lockie & myself were chatting (and drinking) until dawn in Sevenoaks.

All things considered the run went well and sweated away the cob webs quite nicely!!

The Heat is Killing Me

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2128970
Distance: 6.3 miles
Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Comments: Really hot and humid, very hard going but really pleased to have done 10km again. The time is not great but I did also get lost so there could be another 1km to add to the distance

Think I will be having a couple of days off and there will be no running until Sunday (a good reason to behave over the weekend)

Very Hot Again

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2127752
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 35 minutes
Comments: Slow, fast, slow. Very hot again but generally felt good after a couple days of rest after the weekend. Two late nights though, pimms & cider tasting on Sunday with G around the pubs of Battersea (Duke of Cambridge did the best Pimms), and, Robert Mondavi tasting at the Bluebird on Monday, ment that some fitness was well over due!!

Slow Jog Sunday

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2116091
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 28 minutes
Comments: A nice mixture of very slow, very fast, slow. Perfect for a hot, slightly hung-over Sunday morning ('sales meeting' with Kev around the pubs of Wimbledon). Slow time at 28 mins for 2 miles but it feels good just to get out and do it.

Hot Run

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2111926
Distance: 2.7 miles
Time: 28 mins
Weather: Hot, Humid & Sunny
Comments: Slow, fast, slow, hard going in the heat and straight after yesterdays efforts

Another Good Run

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2109359
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 50 minutes
Weather: Very Hot 27c & Sunny
Comments: Another good run. New territory with going slow, fast, slow, fast, slow for approximately 10 minutes each.

Good Long Run

Route: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2109889
Distance: 7.35 miles
Time: 1hr 11 mins
Commets:This is the third 10km+ run I have done in as many weeks and the best run I have done for about a month. Bright and hot, but with a cool breeze.

After 4 weeks of feeling like I was making no progress this has been great.

A Running Blog

Instead of keeping a running log I have a running blog. The idea being that I will be able to chart my progress - if I manage to make any

This blog should really of started about 2 months ago when I started running again. Basically I have been running for between 30 minutes and 1 hour 3- 4 times a week. There has also been a couple of 10kms thrown in as well taking me between 1hr 10mins and 1hr 20mins. A wise 'old' runner once told me:

"it is not how far, or how fast you go, but how long"

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it

The aim of all this running is to get fit and lose the beer belly, once and for all - maybe - We have had a lot of good times together but it is finally time to go.

So here we go!!