Something Old, Something New

Nothing Borrowed, but my trainers are Blue! 

The morning was grey and foggy with damp drizzle filling the air, I set out solo after failing to find anyone willing to run early and far on a Saturday morning with me. So I popped on my headphones filled mostly with songs from Glee and a lot of cheesy pop. I set off on a familiar route (something old) but before long decided to take a detour, and then another and then I decided I would only run for the next few miles on roads that I had never run on before (something new) regardless of whether or not I knew where they went. 

My fail safe to ensure this new technique of non-route planning did not end in catastrophe was to make sure that if I hit the halfway mark on my planned distance I would then just go back the way I came until I once again recognised the area... that failing my their technique is to check where the buses are going and head towards somewhere familiar. 

So onwards I went, nodding my greetings to pedestrians and fellow runners as I passed them by whilst occasionally signing out loud to my music - one of many reasons I shouldn't listen to music whilst running. Upon hitting my halfway point I was thankfully in familiar surrounds so I decided to head down through Norman Park and see all the Movember Parkrunners trotting along sporting a variety of tashes. Sadly I was too late to join the run and headed through the park and out the other side towards home. 

By now my legs were feeling a bit heavy and tired, the thought of getting back home into the warm and having a nice big cuppa was keeping me going though. The end of my route I had a decision to make option (1) add a loop to take me over 16 miles (2) run straight down St Pauls Wood Hill and home, a little shy of my planned 16 miles but also a big downhill for my very tired legs. Option 2 prevailed and I did a little over 15 miles at a decent ace including a few hills all of which I tacked with relative ease. My endurance training has officially begun.